Lodestar: KOTLC fanfic version
by strawbr'yblond periwinkle love
Summary: Sophie and Keefe are now on opposite sides, but they each have a similar set of problems to face- both practical and emotional. Trust is more elusive than ever, and hearts are vulnerable. Each must work from their end to discover the truth. Will they be able to succeed, or will a lack of trust be the end of them all? *There are NO Lodestar spoilers in this fic. ZERO.*
1. Preface

**Hi! I've been lurking around fanfic for about a year, reading people's stories and profiles, and otherwise acting a little like a creepy stalker, but I've always wanted to join in and write something myself. Until now, I've been too scared and shy to try, but I'm taking a stab at my shell, so here I go! I'm sorry this is so short, I'll try to upload often. Please let me know if there is any way I can improve! Thanks.**

Preface

Not that she cared. If he wanted to throw his life away, that was his problem. She put up with what she put up with. One stupid, bitter fourteen-year-old wasn't going to break the bank. So she tilted her head and said:

"So?"

Why he was even telling her about the latest wannabe was the real mystery. She wasn't exactly "read in" to things on a normal day. Or any day.

"He has some trust issues we feel could better be served by someone he can relate to more. Someone reminiscent of the only person he completely trusts now."

Well, trust issues were pretty run of the mill in this bunch of wackos. Why…

Oh. Boy. Was this…

"It's time for your first assignment."

* * *

Edit:

 **So, it's many months and chapters later, and I'm realizing this is a pretty bad opener for making people click "next chapter,", so I would like to implore you, this is not a good representation of the story. I don't know what newbie me was thinking posting this first, but please give chapter 1 a try. Here's a little sample:**

Chapter 1

It wasn't yet light out, but Keefe couldn't even think about sleep. The odd dirt almost-cave he'd been stuffed in felt far less homey than the earthy treehouse the Black Swan had provided, the only other non-crystal place he'd had to live in. Since his big move to the Neverseen, he had spent two days in the cramped hillside room, seeing no one but Fintan, Brant, or Alvar, twice a day at mealtimes. The Pyrokinetics creeped him out, and Alvar made his gut boil with anger.

But there was one small thing that kept nagging him even while he felt the anger.

 _"I can't imagine any of the_ perfect _Vackers being longtime traitors."_

He had said that. And at the time, he'd meant it. But Alvar was here. And the way he looked at Keefe was strange, pleading and caring and sorry and not sorry all at the same time. He had been in the Neverseen most of Keefe's life, and had had to lie and betray his own family for them. But he believed in what he was doing. He had made decisions he regretted, but he also came to let out the bitterness inside. And to be what he was meant to be.

What he was meant…

 **The rest of the preface above the line remains unchanged for posterity. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Sorry the preface was so short. I know it was confusing but I hope you'll stick with me. We are meeting some familiar faces in this chapter, never fear!**

Chapter 1

It wasn't yet light out, but Keefe couldn't even think about sleep. The odd dirt almost-cave he'd been stuffed in felt far less homey than the earthy treehouse the Black Swan had provided, the only other non-crystal place he'd had to live in. Since his big move to the Neverseen, he had spent two days in the cramped hillside room, seeing no one but Fintan, Brant, or Alvar, twice a day at mealtimes. The Pyrokinetics creeped him out, and Alvar made his gut boil with anger.

But there was one small thing that kept nagging him even while he felt the anger.

 _"_ _I can't imagine any of the_ perfect _Vackers being longtime traitors."_

He had said that. And at the time, he'd meant it. But Alvar was here. And the way he looked at Keefe was strange, pleading and caring and sorry and not sorry all at the same time. He had been in the Neverseen most of Keefe's life, and had had to lie and betray his own family for them. But he believed in what he was doing. He had made decisions he regretted, but he also came to let out the bitterness inside. And to be what he was meant to be.

What he was meant…

Keefe opened the door and stepped outside. He was being monitored and couldn't go more than five feet from his "safe house," (more like a holding cell) but he was glad of the fresh air. In the distance, the sunrise poked through the trees, making the woods glow with pink light. Keefe's breath curled lazily away from his lips as a quiet breeze rustled the bare branches.

The sun cleared the last treetop just as a glittering form materialized near the safe house. Alvar shuffled the bowl he held from hand to hand, shaking his red fingers.

"They have no clue how hot this feels, do they," he grumbled. He waited for Keefe to turn around, a tight but genuine smile on his face, then held the door open, motioning Keefe in ahead on him.

"How're you feeling this morning?" he asked as Keefe poked the contents of the bowl. They were green and slop like.

"Like, am I sick and getting better, or am I feeling less remorse about betraying my friends for you guys?"

Alvar sighed. "It could have been a simple question, too."

"Nothing is ever simple with you guys. Didn't I prove myself already? I just want to save my Mom."

"Yes, I know, but Fintan wants to be sure you won't betray us as you did the Black Swan once you get your Mother back. He thinks it's safer to leave her where she is for now while we get used to you, and you get used to us. I know this is a lot for you, Keefe, but you can always talk to me."

"Yeah, Right," Keefe snorted.

"I mean it. You can trust me, Keefe. You always could. I really do care about you, just like your Mom does. And I trust you."

"So help me out of here, and get me to my Mom then," Keefe demanded, pushing away the tasteless breakfast. "I just want to figure out what I'm supposed to be," he added in a whisper.

"You will, Keefe. I promise. And I'm here for you. I want you to know that. What I had to do to my family wasn't easy. You think I don't know what this must be doing to them? This is why I kept my true feelings hidden for years! But they also made me feel like less then I really was. Less than the Vacker potential. I was more then ten years older then Fitz, but I couldn't get out of his shadow. By the time I was manifesting, he was already being fussed over. He had the perfect Vacker looks, and clear talent. I had already started to fade into the background, but once I got my Mother's ability, I was practically never heard from again. I wasn't good enough for them, so I found someone who I was good enough for. Isn't that what you're looking for, too?"

"I already know someone who thinks I'm good enough the way I am," Keefe said in a grumble.

"Yet look where you are," Alvar said quietly.

"Can we talk about something else? or, better yet, don't you have somewhere to be?" The mood was getting a little to much for Keefe, and he really didn't want to go there right now. Hardly a moment went by that he didn't think about Sophie, and this wasn't helping the waves of guilt he constantly fought.

"Fine." Alvar straightened and reached for the bowl. "You sure you don't want this? You're going to get hungry."

"I'm _sure_."

So there was nothing for the tall Vanisher to do but take the half eaten bowl of mush and leave.


	3. Chapter 2

**Here is my next chapter! I have a few chapters written already, so I'll be able to update fairly often at first, but it's going to be a longish story, so I probably will not be updating daily forever.**

 **On to thank** **yous. (you's?) Big, Huge, ENORMOUS thank you to Strikestar, the first to favorite, follow, and review my story! When I saw, I jumped up and down, and shook my mom by the shoulders. (which she didn't really appreciate...) Also, thanks to ThatsencenboyXD for being the second review, and the guest- you know who you are, anyway. ;)**

 **As to your questions/comments:  
** **Strikestar,** **I personally ship Sophitz (as I have mentioned- *giggles*), but I intend to have a little fun with the characters before settling them in pairings. And thanks for your praise. I'm blushing...  
** **ThatsencenboyXD, Awww, that's about the highest praise I could imaging getting! Thank you to Eternalia and back! And please read below to see the answer to your question.  
** **Guest: Tada!**

 **One thing I forgot to do in the last chapter is say, "The characters and direct quotes from 'Neverseen' belong to Shannon Messenger, whom I greatly admire."**

 **Now: on to the story! Hope y'all enjoy!**

Chapter 2

"Tell me again why I'm not just healing him now?"

It was early the morning after the news of Prentice's awakening, and Sophie stood looking at his rocking, mumbling figure. She'd never thought that the sight of his madness would relieve her.

Wylie, standing beside her, nodded his agreement, looking sharply at the two men with them.

"We need your mind to be safe, Sophie," Granite explained, "and in view of the events of the past day, it's just too risky. What if you fail?"

"But my mind is impenetrable. He can't hurt me," Sophie argued. She really needed something good right about now.

"Your mind is impenetrable to broken shards, yes, but you can still be lost if you lose your concentration. If you're lost before you finish healing him, Sophie, no one will be able to come in after you. You're much too important for such a senseless risk. I must beg you, _please_ don't try it before we're sure you're ready." From his rocky face, his eyes pleaded.

"Whatever," Sophie mumbled, looking away.

"I must agree with him, Miss Foster," Magnate Leto chimed in. He had been the one to accompany Wylie from Foxfire, and had given Sophie a look as he walked past, warning her to keep his other identity to herself. "You should be at your best for such a difficult, not to mention unusual procedure."

Sophie sighed, knowing they were right. She hadn't slept that night, and her mind kept racing.

"May I speak to you for a moment?" Granite asked Magnate Leto.

"Of course." The men moved into the next room, leaving the young people alone.

"It's nice to see him back to normal, at least," Sophie ventured after a moment of silence.

Wylie let out a sniffed breath. "Normal." He sounded a little wistful. He stared at his father, not looking at her.

"Wylie, I'm so sorry! I know you've been waiting for this, and now to have to wait even longer- I could do it right now. I don't have to wait for their permission." She reached for Prentice's temples, her foggy mind racing and struggling for clarity.

"Stop!" Wylie grabbed her hands, his grip gentle but firm as he pulled them back. "They're right, you know. Don't make any foolish mistakes, for both your sakes."

Her hands shook. She had indeed been about to make a very foolish move.

"Besides," he added, "you and I are more used to grief than most elves. You'll be strong enough in no time."

"Why are you so ok with all this now?" she asked, searching his face.

"My father believed in you, to the point that he trusted you with his life. The least I can do for him is believe in you, too." His face softened, and a hint of a smile touched his lips.

Sophie's heart swelled. His confidence in her meant as much as any of her friends', because he'd had to live with the pain of his father's choice, and _he_ wasn't giving up.

Granite and Magnate Leto walked back into the room.

"We need to be getting you back to Foxfire, young man," Magnate Leto called. "Classes begin any minute."

"And Sophie, you need to be getting home, before your parents worry. You also need to start finding a way to deal with… the recent 'situation,'" Granite said. "I'm not trying to belittle it, but the sooner you get it off your chest and reconcile your mind, the sooner you'll be able to heal Prentice."

His words were still echoing in her mind as she leaped home, and as she trudged up to her room, she knew there was only one way she could begin to 'deal.'

She held up her imparter shakily.

"Show me Dex."


	4. Chapter 3

**Eek, guys! I'm so excited that today you get to meet my OC! I hope you like her. Also, I finally figured out how to insert a line! I know, it's lame how long it took, but whatever.**

 **Reviews:  
Strikestar, you explained it just fine! I'm so happy that you are enjoying it. I _s_** ** _oo_ appreciate your support, and hope you continue to be entertained. :)  
Stars and Alicorns, WOW! oO I don't even know how to answer that, except THANK YOU SO MUCH OH MY GOODNESS! (x100, but for some reason the website won't allow more than one ! at a time)**

 **And now, here is the story.**

* * *

Chapter 3

When the time came for his afternoon meal, Keefe was expecting the 'pyro twins,' as he had taken to calling them during his long days alone, to come for the daily lecture and questioning session. So he was surprised when a soft but resolved knock sounded on the door. Since when did either of his usual visitors knock? He was even more surprised when no one came in after his distant grunt. He got up reluctantly and opened the door. What he was't prepared for was a darkly hooded figure his own hight, face shrouded beyond hope of recognition, large basket on it's arm. For a brief moment, his heart pounded as he wondered if it was Sophie. But he quickly squelched the thought. Sophie was just a little shorter, but he knew at once it wasn't her.

"Who are you?" he asked, suspicious.

"I've come to deliver your dinner." The voice was that of a girl, cold. The stranger brushed stiffly past and plunked the basket down on the table. She opened the cloth on top and set out several covered plates full of colorful fruits and vegetables. Then, she laid a fork and napkin in front of his chair before retreating to the small couch on the other side of the room.

"You gonna answer my question?" asked Keefe.

"My name is Kelse. I'm taking care of you from now on."

Brief, but it was more words than before. Grabbing a plate and the fork, Keefe plunked onto the other side of the couch, grinning at Kelse as he ate. She shifted uncomfortably under his stares, but it didn't matter; there was no way he could tell what her face looked like. Her hands twitched nervously, and her emotions wriggled. He tilted his head in surprise. He could feel her emotions without touching her, but they weren't clear; he couldn't tell what they were as he could with Sophie. He looked carefully at her while finishing his food, trying to figure her out.

"You're another mysterious miss, aren't you?" He said at last, eyes dancing.

"I am who I am." She was _almost_ snapping. Quickly gathering the dishes, she made a visible effort not to bolt toward the door. Keefe grinned widely.

"So, I'll be seeing you, right?"

"I'll be delivering your meals now, so I suppose." Was that begrudging? Fear? What _was_ the strange emotion radiating from her?

"Will the hood be coming off" Keefe's voice was light and teasing, but he also waited for her answer curiously.

It didn't come. Pulling her cloak and hood tighter, she whisked out the door.

* * *

The girl - Kelse - returned in the morning, bringing the most edible breakfast fare Keefe had seen since moving to the Neverseen. He ate as slowly as he could manage, fighting the sudden hunger the food inspired, so he could study his new companion. Her face was completely hidden, her cloak sufficiently swirly to conceal both figure and possible weapons. There was not even a single strand of her hair showing. The way she was acting, and the way her unreadable emotions were wafting in a familiar pattern made Keefe suspect she was afraid. He managed to bump into her when he finished eating and they were trying to clean the table, and the suspicion was confirmed. Kelse's emotions snapped into focus, making Keefe want to retch up his breakfast. He covered the feeling, though, not wanting her to notice, and the emotions blurred as he backed away.

She didn't leave right away, so he plunked himself down in a nearby chair, smirking, and asked,

"What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

He didn't have to see her eyes to feel the glare. Maybe it was the good food, but he was feeling brave, cheeky, foolish, and otherwise closer to his old self. She was standing in arms reach of him, and he reached out, before he could fully think through his action, and reached for the hood.

A force hit him, like a hand slapping away his, so hard pins and needles took over. Kelse hadn't moved. Keefe stared, stunned, trying to process what had happened.

"Don't touch me," she hissed, her voice trembling with what felt like equal parts fear and anger. She stared for a second longer, shaking, then spun in a swirl of fabric and exited, slamming the door.


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey, so here is the next chapter. Just to clarify, about 95%ish of the story will be Sophie or Keefe's POV, but every now and then, someone else has a better descriptive opportunity, so they get to narrate for a chapter. I'm not trying to be *too* confusing. Only marginally confusing :)**

 **On another note: Yay! I finally wrote a chapter of more than 1,000 words! I know short chapters can be awesome too, when done right, but it sometimes gets depressing when I simply run out of relevant things to say in a scene at 300 or 400 words - and then the same thing happens in the next one.**

 **Strikestar, Thank you! I'm so glad you like her! She's my little enigma. I have some sweet surprises in her future, so hang on tight.**

* * *

Chapter 4

"What's the matter, Sophie? And don't try to say 'nothing,' because it's pretty obvious that there's something."

Dex had come right away after Sophie'd hailed. He could tell from the look of her face and the tone of her voice that something terrible had happened. Even now, her face was a frightening shade of grey.

"Dex…" She looked up at him, eyes watery and nose red. Dex's heart pounded with rising panic.

"Sophie, _please,_ tell me. You need to get whatever it is off your mind. You know it- you called me."

Sophie moved over an inch on the bed, wordlessly inviting Dex to sit. She wouldn't look at him as she started.

"I didn't want to burden anyone about this yet, but I'm just not dealing with it well enough on my own, and you've always been there for me…"

She blushed, and Dex couldn't help but feel a little proud in spite of everything. She could have called 'Wonderboy,' but she didn't. Of course, if something was this bad, she might not want to burden the Vackers with yet another world crusher, but he'd take what he could get.

"I _am_ here for you, Sophie, and I always will be," he said. He wondered if he should take her hand, but that would be too weird, wouldn't it?

Beside him, Sophie was gathering her breath, finally pushing it all out and her words with it.

"It's Keefe. He's… gone."

"Gone?"

"He went for his mother. To _them_. He took the cache. I barely made it away when-" she squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to block out the memories, sitting and rocking with barely contained emotion.

"It's really hard to talk about," she said at last. "Could I show you?"

Dex took pause. Sophie had never entered his mind. But this was important, and he did want to see exactly what had happened. With effort, he nodded.

Sophie reached for his temples, her hands cold and - to his shame he noticed - pleasant on his head. He waited, wondering what it would feel like.

When the memories finally hit him, though, he was totally unprepared for the sensation. It was like watching a human 3D movie, but there was something else; every scene came with a feeling, as if he was feeling exactly what she had been feeling at the time, or how she felt about it. His heart thudded in his chest as the scenes played out, adrenaline pulsing so hard his ears rang. Confusion gave way to worry, which billowed into betrayal, desperation, and helplessness. Through it all though, tiny, fragile threads of hope clung to everything, refusing to be broken. When the glitter of the shaky light leap whisked Sophie home, the memory dissolved, and Dex opened his eyes, (he didn't even remember closing them) feeling exhausted.

"Whoa," he breathed when his heart started to calm down. "How did you do that?"

"What?" Sophie asked, her voice a little raw, pulling her hands away from his head.

"You sent feelings with the memories, like… I don't know."

"I don't know," she said, voice empty, and he wasn't completely sure if it was an echo or an answer. "I guess it could have to do with my inflicting. I just wanted you to really get what happened, and I was concentrating on that."

Dex let the full weight of what had happened hit him then, and he looked hard into Sophie's eyes.

"Sophie, I'm so sorry…"

She burst into tears. Impulsively, Dex reached his arms around her, hugging her tight and absorbing her sobs into his shirt. All thoughts of crushes or attraction were gone from his mind, replaced with a need to protect and comfort. Whether it was the sound of Sophie's grief, the leftover emotions she had sent, or sadness of his own, the boy began to feel his eyes well, and he buried his head in Sophie's back.

How long they sat like that, he couldn't tell. But at last, when they were all cried out, and had been sitting, rocking in silence, thinking their own thoughts for a while, they seemed to feel better. Dex broke away first, grabbing Sophie's arms and sitting her up.

So, what's the plan," he asked when she was composed.

"The plan?"

"To save Keefe, of course," he said.

"I… I don't have one," she mumbled. "I don't even know where to start."

"Well, we can work on it together now." He smiled encouragement to her.

Sophie's face lightened a little, as if in spite of herself, as Dex's smile tugged her own lips up.

"Do Grady and Edaline know?" he asked.

"Yeah, they were there when I got back." Sophie's face fell again.

"They might be able to help, you know."

"I don't know, Dex. You didn't see Grady when it happened. He was pretty… _upset._ "

"I guess he just hated that someone hurt you that much. I guess anyone who really cared about you would be." Dex realized what he said and blushed deep red. Awkward silence ensued, until Sophie stood up, sniffing.

"I smell mallowmelt," she said, "and something minty."

Relieved, Dex also stood. "Mmm," he breathed, taking a deep draw of the sweet air. "Let's go, then!"

* * *

Downstairs, Edaline sat at the table, twisting something small in her hands. She looked up sideways as they came over, and smiled. The way she looked at them made Dex wonder if she had heard them, or even seen them while they were 'out of it.' She said nothing, however, and just wordlessly snapped her fingers. A platter with fresh mallowmelt and a round, steamy teapot popped onto the table. The children indulged, and Dex felt calm spread through him as he sipped the tea.

"Where's Grady?" asked Sophie, sliding into a chair.

"Verde attacked one of the new animals. Grady's trying to run damage control. I figured he didn't need me as much as the tea and mallowmelt needed making," she added in answer to the question in their eyes, winking.

"What can we do, Aunt Edaline," Dex asked, after they had eaten in silence for a few moments. "We can't think of a way to save him. There must be something."

"I know it's not what you want to hear, but for now, you need to wait, try to figure out what the Neverseen's next move is. It's really their move, and you can't risk everything by rushing blindly into something you can't back away from. You do need to talk about how to retrieve the cache, and you need to think about what you're going to say to the Vackers. There's no way this isn't going to affect them dramatically."

Dex clenched his teeth, thinking. That was not going to be fun.


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey all. Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. The weekend is really busy for me, with church and everything. So, here is the next chapter! There is a huge reveal about Kelse I'm really excited about. I can't wait to hear what you think! (Read, I'm shivering with nervous anticipation) And, yay for another over 1,000 word chapter!**

 **Fun fact: did you know that derogation was the noun form of derogatory? The things you learn when you're trying to write ... :p**

 **BlackSwanGirl, aw, you are an amazing writer! But thanks!  
Strikestar, here it is!**

* * *

Chapter 5

The encounters at the Neverseen hideout went pretty much like the first one had for a few days. Keefe tried to ease off, letting Kelse get used to him, but he burned with curiosity. He got one more visit from Fintan and Brant, but his main contact was shifting to the mysterious girl.

It was the evening of his fifth day with the Neverseen. Kelse was looser, her cloak falling open just a tiny bit in the front, a single, floating strand of white-blond hair peeking from her hood. Even though her face was still covered, she seemed to smile when Keefe cracked a joke, and her emotions, still almost unreadable, felt more even, anyway.

It was too much temptation. Kelse had her back to Keefe, her guard down. Before he could change his mind, Keefe whipped the hood down and spun the girl to face him, holding her so she couldn't get away.

She let out a strangled cry, struggling against his arms, but it was no use. Then, Keefe got a glimpse of her face, and froze. Kelse froze too, turning her eyes up to look at him, pleading and betrayal showing in them. Keefe was pretty sure the blood had abandoned his own face. His heart pounded. His mind struggled to grasp the sight.

The left side of her face was normal, even pretty in a strange way. Her hair was whitish blond, her eye an odd but attractive purple-brown.

But the right…

Thin lines, both scars and veins showing through transparent skin, spidered from the outside corner of her eye. The eye itself was a lavender blue so pale, it nearly looked clear. Her hair, too, was transparent, with streaks of white continuing from the scar lines. Even where they crossed her eyebrow the hairs had turned white.

There was dead silence, until Kelse managed in a strained voice:

"Now you see why I kept it covered. Now you'll think I'm repulsive."

"No!" Keefe gasped out. "No, just- what happened?" His voice was quiet and almost caring.

Since he was still gripping her arms, he could feel the storm of emotions warring inside of her in high definition. She was torn, half embarrassed, half desperate to talk to someone. Finally, she sighed.

"Let's sit down," she said. "It's kind of a long story."

* * *

"My father has been in the Neverseen for a long time- several decades, in fact," she began when they had settled on the couch. "He's… dedicated. But even though the Neverseen has, shall we say, extravagant views about solving the "human problem," there _are_ some humans who feel the same way. Sometimes, it's even possible to use them, work with them, in a manner of speaking. My father got involved with a human group, and one of the humans became more than just a co-worker." Kelse paused, a slight blush crossing her face. "In short, they fell in love. Of course, that was pretty much taboo in an anti-human organization. When they were secretly married, and it had become obvious that there was to be a child, our leaders were furious. My father had even gone so far as to tell the woman the truth about himself, the Neverseen, and the elven world. She wanted to join, and after a lot of huffing, she was allowed to. She became very active, and even participated in confrontations with the Black Swan. Her eyes were dark brown, but they were able to hide that with drops or hoods.

"It was during one of those confrontations that she was hit." Kelse choked over the sentence, her lip trembling, and when Keefe reached over to steady her, she didn't pull away. After a few shaky breaths, she continued.

"I was five months from inception, and she was just starting to show. She hid it so well at first…" Kelse was getting teary now, but she didn't stop. "She was hit by a melder. In the stomach."

Keefe turned green. His mind crowded with unwanted images. He pushed them away, but not soon enough.

"Melders aren't supposed to be fatal, but they weren't made for human physiology, either. And they definitely aren't supposed to be anywhere near babies. My mother was never the same. She was sick for the rest her life, and I think that's why she eventually died." Kelse's voice was very small. "Anyway, she almost lost me, and would've if I were fully human, but since I was half elf I lived. I was born nine weeks early. When they saw me… let's say it wasn't good." Her hand drifted up to her scarred face. "My father was ashamed of me. He didn't want us around anymore, so my mother moved back to her parent's house, and that's where I grew up. I was happy, anyway."

She smiled and looked up, as if she was done, But Keefe still had questions. Before he could ask, though, she stood up. "Brant and Fintan feel they have been leaving you alone too much. They said they'd stop by later. I have to go, but you'd just better keep this conversation to yourself."

"Of course," said Keefe. "I would never betray your confidence. And… I'm sorry."

Kelse gave him a sad smile. "It's ok," she assured him. "In a way I'm glad I told you. I've been keeping it in for so long, it's made me a little crazy."

She pulled the cloak tight and shrouded her face once more with the hood. Setting the basket on her arm, she opened the door, but before she closed it again behind her, she turned.

"Thank you, Keefe."

* * *

"How is our newest member?" Fintan's voice was overly sugary, making Keefe wince inwardly. They had chosen to meet outside, because they didn't want to have to find a new hideout if there were any… accidents.

"Just dandy," he shot back, tone flippant.

Fintan worked hard to keep the ugly scowl from his face. "I see your spirits are as bright as ever. I must say that's an improvement."

"Sorry not to disappoint you."

Brant advanced, his one good arm upraised, his ruined face twisted into an unrecognizable expression, but Fintan stopped him with a small hand motion.

"Now now, we mustn't discourage him. You know what this means."

Keefe was _dying_ to know what it meant, but no one elaborated, and he wisely chose not to ask. It gave him an idea, though. If they wanted him to be more like this, maybe he could use it to his advantage.

"It's the company I've been keeping," he tried. "I have to say, you guys really have something with that girl."

Fintan's eyes lit. "So!" he crowed. "I was right! I can arrange for you to see quite a bit more of our little experiment."

"Experiment?" asked Keefe weakly.

"Of course! Oh, I don't mean it in the way of the Black Swan's little freak-" Keefe fought the bristles he felt at the derogation of his friend- "but an experiment all the same, in something you are not yet ready to understand."

Keefe tried not to be to alarmed by Fintan's words, but he couldn't help thinking about just how little he really knew Kelse. Then again, he had sensed that she had been telling the truth earlier, and there was something else… He would have to think on it some more, but he trusted her.

"You'll be pleased to know that we feel you are almost ready for the next stage," Fintan was saying. "Soon, you will see the heart of the Neverseen. Soon, you will truly be one with it."

Well, that sounded creepy. But the outlook improved when Fintan, turning to Brant, added; "Make a note; the girl is to accompany him in future. Any meetings of importance require her presence unless I personally make an exception."

Maybe, Keefe thought, his time at the Neverseen wouldn't be as dismal as he'd thought.


	7. Chapter 6

**So, here is the next chapter. I'm still really curious and nervous about what you all thought of Kelse, especially her appearance, since it was a big shock to Keefe, and I really morbidly enjoyed picturing the scars the way I wanted them, but was also trying not to make it too horrible for some people. Did it come out ok?**

 **Thank you so much to PokeMANS for following and favoriting, and for the encouraging review.  
Strikestar, I'm glad you like her! What did you think of her scars?  
BlackSwanGirl, That's a neat theory, and I'm _so_ glad you're enjoying the story enough to think ahead like that! Actually, though, Kelse's mom is human. I did write that, but it was kinda buried in the middle of a paragraph, so it might be easy to miss. I only bring it up because it's VERY important to the story that Kelse is half human.**

 **Now, back to Sophie...**

* * *

Chapter 6

The gates of Everglen glowed so brightly that it seemed irreverent, given Sophie's mood. Beside her, Dex was a solid, comforting presence, bolstering her through the dread of what she was about to do. They had talked long about how to break the news, and the plan they had finally adopted was risky, but it was the best idea they'd had. Biana let them in, and they followed her down the path to the house in ominous silence.

Inside, the remaining three Vackers and the Song twins were sitting in the main room, (all but Tam, who stood protectively behind Linh,) whispering nervously. When Sophie and Dex walked in, they all turned to stare. Sophie froze, unsure how to respond to the attention. Alden snapped out of it first, and half stood.

"Sophie, Dex, come in. Sit down." He waited until they had done so before asking quietly, "What's wrong? Has something happened?"

Sophie took a deep breath, but before she could get up her nerve to speak, Biana, who had perched nervously beside Fitz, said "Why isn't Keefe here?"

"That's… part of what we have to tell you." Sophie looked up at Dex, then closed her eyes.

She felt deep inside, concentrating on feelings of peace, calm, and hope. She gathered them until they were a huge ball of unruly, powerful energy, swirling and straining, needing to explode out, but Sophie controlled it. She imagined a case around the energy. Then, she imagined a single, small hole pointing toward each person in the room bored through the case. She flicked her eyes open for a second to nod at Dex. As he began the story, she pushed the energy in a controlled stream out of the holes, trickling over the audience. He spoke in direct but gentle terms, explaining what had happened, beginning with the release of Silveny and Greyfell. The room grew quieter and quieter, but no one moved. All seemed rooted to their spots, shock joining with the emotions she was sending. By the time Dex finished, Sophie was almost out of energy. She mentally closed off all but two of the holes - Alden's, and Fitz's. After a few seconds, Biana started to cry and Tam growled, "I knew there was something not to be trusted about him. I should have guessed this was coming." Then he called Keefe a few uncouth names. Everyone else seemed still too shocked to speak.

The energy was all but gone when a voice slipped quietly into her mind.

 _Sophie,_ Fitz's mental voice whispered. _May I come in?_

Sophie opened her mind to his, searching for any signs of cracking. She sensed utter sadness, but he was whole.

Fitz was scanning her, too, for signs of trouble. The last of Sophie's inflicting energy petered out, and she reeled slightly. _You were inflicting on us?_ he asked.

 _I was afraid. You didn't handle the last tragedy so well. And your dad…_

 _You told Dex, though._

 _I really needed to tell someone. Dex_ is _my best friend. Plus, you already went through so much just the day before yesterday. I thought this would break you. I couldn't bear that - bear losing you, too._ Sophie realized her eyes were still closed as they welled with tears.

 _Oh, Sophie…_

"Well," Alden's voice broke into her thoughts. He sounded shaky, but he was holding it together. Sophie, who was just beginning to realize what she and Fitz had been saying, was relieved for the interruption. She looked up.

"I'm so sorry. I wish I didn't have to bring you news like this," she said. On the sofa, Linh was hushing Tam, her expression grave. Biana was still crying, and Della was holding her, looking teary herself.

"I know, Sophie," Alden said. "But please don't blame yourself. This was Keefe's choice. I just wish there was better news."

"Actually, there _is_ more," Sophie admitted. "And it's good news. Prentice is awake."

Alden gasped, clutching the arms of his chair. "Awake… then is he healed?"

"Not yet. The Black Swan feels it would be too risky in my present circumstances, but I'm sure I'll be strong enough soon." There was tense silence. Then Alden smiled.

"That is wonderful news. Now that the potential is there, please don't rush through concern for me. I am going to be just fine, there's no reason to worry."

Sophie and Fitz smiled wryly at each other.

"For me, at least," Alden added. "You children, on the other hand, begin at Foxfire on Monday, Tam and Linh included."

All the smiles disappeared.

"So soon?" whispered Sophie.

"Without Keefe?" Biana rasped, her voice thin.

"You need regularity," said Della gently, "And the world needs to readjust to you. The Council has decided that since you are to be coming back, you need to make the transition as quickly as possible. Needless to say, they hope to minimize an embarrassing situation. Plus, it's the first week back from midterms."

Sophie hadn't realized so much time had passed.

"Why us? Who said we even wanted to go to that place," Tam demanded passionately.

"What my brother means to say," interjected Linh, her voice like a soothing wave, "is how did this come to be, since we were exiled so long?"

Nobody really believed that Tam had meant anything other than what he said, but Linh was an excellent peacekeeper.

"You two have more than redeemed yourselves in the last few days," Alden said, "if indeed there were any actions that justified a longer punishment. I find it hard to believe that the Council doesn't know how much blame for what happened lies with your parents. It was hardly unbiased judgement that sent you to Exillium and gave them a free pass. This is the beginning of righting the many wrongs they have allowed."

"It isn't enough," added Della, "but it's a start." She smiled at the twins.

"Perhaps I should be getting home," Dex interjected tentatively. "My parents tend to worry a lot these days."

"Me too," Sophie chimed in. "I mean, about getting home." Although she did worry a lot.

They rose to leave, exchanging good-byes. As she reached the door, Fitz's voice whispered in her mind, _I'll be in touch. You will let me help, won't you?_

Sophie glanced back, but all she could think of was how Keefe hadn't been there to tease them about their telepathic conversations, and she couldn't even remember how to reply. She hoped Fitz saw the answer in her eyes as she looked at him for an agonized second. Then, she followed Dex out the door.


	8. Chapter 7

**Here's the next installment. Sorry it's so short! School's starting, I still have to actually write many of the chapters now, and life's getting busier, so I can't update every day anymore, but I'll still be posting a few times a week, hopefully.**

 **Strikestar, Thanks, and here you go!  
Emily Jacobs, So much enthusiasm! I'm glad you like it! Tada!**

* * *

Chapter 7

"How'd the meeting go?" It was the next morning, and Keefe had barely had time to open the door when Kelse barged in, throwing back her hood and attacking him with the question. It was such a change from her usual self that Keefe was knocked speechless, mouth open.

"Fine," he managed finally. Then, wicked sarcasm tinged his voice. "Just great. I was creeped out once again, and totally confused by their cryptic talk. Basically another normal day in the Neverseen. If I didn't know any better, I would think they were some secret organization or something." He grinned, half expecting a groan, the normal response from his audience, but Kelse jumped on board.

"I know, right?" she said, her face deadly serious. "Anyone just happening by would think we had, like, trust issues. What's up with that?" Her good eye danced wildly.

"No! Not trust issues!" Keefe tried to look horrified, but he couldn't keep the smile from his face. Both teens dissolved into giggles. They laughed until they couldn't breathe, sinking onto opposite corners of the couch. They looked up at each other, mirth still lightening their faces, wonder in their eyes.

"I- I haven't laughed like that in five years," whispered Kelse.

Keefe couldn't even remember the last time he had so totally forgotten, even for an instant, his worries for a laugh. It felt so familiar.

They drank in the feeling for a minute longer, then Kelse jumped up, slapping her hands on her knees.

"Hungry?" she asked, unpacking her basket. "I brought enough for both of us today."

Keefe remembered the reason he'd been so surprised earlier.

"You changed," he observed.

Kelse stared at the food. "I'm not afraid to be myself with you. Somehow, I trust you, Keefe. I haven't trusted anyone like this for a long time, and it feels… good." She turned to look at him, smiling a little. "It's funny, in a way. I don't even really know why I do."

"Yeah, well maybe you shouldn't," Keefe mumbled, face grey, suddenly feeling despair. "I'm not trustworthy."

"Hey," Kelse's voice was stern. She brought two plates over to the couch, and handed one to Keefe. "Don't do this, Keefe. It's hard, being Neverseen, but you have to trust someone."

Keefe glanced up at her, jabbing his food listlessly. "I think I trust you," he said. "It _is_ funny. We barely know each other, after all."

"I guess it has to do with shared experiences. We know what it's like to be, um, _us_."

They ate, savoring the food and the companionship. Finally, Keefe deeded it was time to continue their conversation of the previous day.

"So, what happened? Why are you here, with the Neverseen?"

Kelse sighed. "My mother and I lived with my grandparents for twelve years. I saw my father two or three times a year. He visited, and he was kind. He gave me birthday presents, took me to places in the elven world, or to Neverseen bases. He had to be careful, since there was so much of my mother in me. Too much human, that is." She frowned.

"It wasn't as if we expected her to live long, but it was hard all the same. When she was gone, I wanted to stay with my grandparents, but my father was suddenly 'interested in my welfare.'" Bitterness crept into Kelse's voice and her eyes flashed. "He wouldn't let me stay. Legally, I had to go with him. He keeps me pretty close, training me in the ways of the Neverseen, but I'd rather be back home. My _real_ home. It's been three years, but I still don't think of this place as home."

"I know what it means to live in a home that doesn't feel like home," Keefe said, "although I guess it's not quite the same."

"At least I _had_ a happy home life for a few years, Keefe. I can hardly ask for more, considering. You didn't even get that, fully. Security, a real elven education, elven friends, a crystal mansion, yes. They're not the truly important things in life, but I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have them."

"It doesn't mean as much as you think," Keefe grumbled.

They sat silently, staring out in front of them. From outside, the sounds of the woods drifted in, a calm, soothing rush. Just knowing that the other was there, someone who understood them on a level no one else could, and accepted that, was comforting.

"Oh!" Kelse said suddenly. "I didn't tell you, there's a Telepath coming to probe you in the morning."

Keefe's heart sank. He had so many secrets he just wasn't ready to share. Things he _couldn't_ share. He may have given up everything for this move, betrayed the trust of all his friends, but he would not betray their secrets.

"Kelse, what do I do? I can't let them see everything. I just can't."

An impish grin covered the girl's face. "I can help you with that," she said. "Remember what I said about there being too much human in me?"


	9. Chapter 8

**Augh! This chapter was so hard to write! I have so much story to get through on the Keefe and Kelse side before the Sophie story comes together, that I'm having a hard time getting through these slower chapters. I finally made myself do it, and many hours and 1,500 words later, hopefully it came out ok. It came out much longer than I expected, but I think also better than I hoped. I still can't believe it turned out to be the longest chapter yet.**

 **Reviews:  
Emily Jacobs, Oh- My- Goodness-, YIKES! I can't believe that anyone would love my story so much and be so dedicated to it to write all that! Thank you so much. You really encouraged me, and made me smile.  
BlackSwanGirl, I hope I don't disappoint! Thanks!  
Strikestar, Thanks, here!**

 **Also, Thank you BlackSwanGirl for favoriting and following. It always makes me feel so excited to find out someone else likes my story _that_ _much_! I respect you so much, with all the stories you are starting right now. I'm having enough trouble with one!  
And another Thank you to Xylia Neo for following. You made my week, and my heart patter. I think I almost died of joy to think _YOU_ ACTUALLY READ _MY_ STORY!**

* * *

Chapter 8

"Edaline, Grady! It's so nice to have you! It's been so long. And Sophie too, of course. Always a pleasure!"

It had been 16 years since Grady and Edaline had gone out to dinner with anyone, and they looked a little shy and nervous as they entered the Dizznee home. Juline was even more anxious, though, fussing as they walked into the humble room that was much more like a human home than the other elven mansions Sophie was familiar with. The outside was as grand as ever, of course, but Sophie couldn't help but wonder if the homeliness had to do with Kessler's being talentless and working class.

Dex and Kessler, looking more alike than ever in similar outfits, stood stiff with nervous anticipation by the door to greet their guests as they entered. After awkward hellos, Grady and Kessler sat down together in an alcove. Juline spirited Edaline away into the kitchen to have a sisterly chat while she finished preparing the food. Dex took Sophie into the cozy living room. Inside, the triplets were running around like hooligans, screeching and giggling and crashing into furniture, despite being dressed in nice clothes. Sophie smiled as she and Dex walked together to the couch and sat down.

"They're so… energetic," she said in amusement.

Dex rolled his eyes. "You don't know the half of it," he moaned. "You can't get a minute of peace around here. Why do you think I have my own workshop at the store?"

Sophie giggled as one of the boys plowed into her instead of the couch on his next charge. Dex turned as red as a beet. "I'm so sorry," he gasped. "Rex, stop it!" He grabbed the littler boy's arm roughly.

"Ow!" Rex shouted. "I'm telling Momma you hurt me!"

"No you're not," said a gentle little voice, as Bex came over. "You're gonna stop shouting in front of comp'ny." She smiled shyly at Sophie. "Hi," she said, her tiny voice sweet and hopeful, her eyes bright. "May I sit next to you?"

"O-of course!" Sophie was taken completely by surprise by the younger girl's affections. Bex sat daintily, her back straight, quivering with clear trepidation, but she smiled earnestly, folding her hands around Sophie's arm.

"Did you have any brothers in your other family?" she asked.

At the mention of her human family, Sophie's gut did a flip-flop. For a moment, all she could do was sit, lost in heart-wrenching thought. Beside her, she could hear Dex chiding Bex about asking rude questions. She snapped out of it.

"No, Dex, it's ok. I've got to start talking about it some time." She managed a shaky smile, and turned to Bex. "I didn't have any brothers, but I had a sister just about your age."

"What was her name?" Bex, eyes wide, sounded intrigued.

"Amy. Amy Rose." Sophie willed the tears to stop forming until they obeyed.

"That's a nice name." The little girl considered for a moment. "Was she a nice sister?"

"Actually, I used to think she was just a big pain, there to make my life miserable," Sophie said, chortling at the memories. "But when it came down to it, she _was_ my sister, and I loved her more than anything in the world. Sometimes, you don't appreciate the things - and people - you have until you lose them."

The room had become very quiet as she spoke. Dex was staring at his lap, hand twitching as if he wanted to lay it on her arm, but wasn't sure if that would be ok. Bex was holding onto her other arm even tighter, and even Rex and Lex had stopped running around and were sitting quietly on the floor at her feet. No one seemed able to break the silence, until Juline came into the room and sensed the gloomy mood.

"Well, children, it's time for dinner!" She said in a much too cheerful voice.

* * *

Sophie had no time to ruminate over the serious conversation. With Dex and Bex insisting on sitting on either side of her at the table, and Grady and Edaline looking more jumpy than ever, she had her hands full trying not to die of awkwardness. Slowly, however, the atmosphere became more relaxed. The adults eased into small talk, and Dex had his hands full trying to keep the triplets from spilling their drinks or starting a food fight over the last piece of pearlflower bread. (The opalescent bread ended up going to Sophie, when she was forced to admit that she'd never heard of it or tasted it, much to the horror of all three triplets)

"So, back to Foxfire in the morning," Kessler said eventually, bringing the two groups together. A lump formed in Sophie's throat, pushing away her appetite. One look at Dex showed he was feeling the same way. The triplets groaned.

"I wish I'd'a flunked out over midterms," grumbled Rex.

"You practically did," Bex shot back.

"He didn't try hard enough," objected Lex. "He asked me too many questions about classwork, and even did some of his own homework at the end. He couldn't help but pass a little."

"Now, we've discussed this," scolded Juline. "None of you are going to flunk out of Foxfire, on purpose anyway."

"Aw, I'd happy going to the trade school," complained Rex.

"And break up the family?" demanded Bex.

"The trade school doesn't have hard enough homework," said Lex, as if that decided it.

Sophie, Dex, Bex, and Rex all turned to glare at him.

"What? Homework's fun. Why'd'ya think I do Rex's?"

"I thought we agreed you weren't going to do that anymore," Kessler said, his voice quiet but firm.

"We're go'n work on it together, promise," the boys chorused.

Edaline shook her head, but she couldn't keep her mirth from leaking out in a wide smile. She snapped her fingers, clearing off the table, then snapped them again, conjuring a large tray with dessert-sized plates and a covered platter.

"Mallowmelt, anyone?" she asked.

* * *

After visiting for a while more, as Grady and Edaline were getting ready to leave, Dex and Sophie walked outside to the dark, quiet night. It was clear and cool.

"What do you think of the triplets?" Dex asked.

"They're wonderful!" said Sophie. "I don't know why so many people think they're odd. They seem like normal human kids to me."

"Humans must have really interesting childhoods, then," mumbled Dex.

"They do seem a little… young for their age," offered Sophie. "And a little ADHD."

"What's that?"

Sophie tried to explain.

"Yeah, that's the triplets for you," agreed Dex.

"It doesn't make them any less wonderful," said Sophie with a smile.

They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"What you said about your human sister," began Dex after they had paced a while longer, "I know I complain about the triplets a lot, but in the end, you're right. I love them. After all, they're my siblings, and nothing can change that. Sometimes, you have to lose something to really appreciate it, and sometimes, someone who has gone through a loss can help you understand just how much you really have. I can't imagine a world without the triplets, no matter how much I might want to sometimes. And I can't imagine a world without you, Sophie." He smiled tentatively at her.

"I can't imagine a world without you either, Dex," Sophie whispered. "You're lucky, you know. I miss having a sibling so much. Although it's probably a good thing that I don't have anyone else to drag into my messes."

"You don't drag anyone!" protested Dex. "We volunteer because were your friends." He hesitated. "We'll be your family, you know, Sophie, if you want us."

"I- I would be so honored, Dex. You don't know how much that would mean to me." This time, the tears wouldn't stay back. Sophie hugged Dex tight. Behind them, the doors of the Dizznee home opened.

"Time to go!" Grady called.

"Good night, Dex," Sophie smiled through happy tears. "I'll see you in the morning."

"See you." Sophie wondered if she might have imagined - or misinterpreted - the look of pain in the boy's eyes as she took one last look in the starlight before running down the hill to the door, where their parents were waiting.

* * *

At home in Havenfield, Grady and Edaline tucked Sophie into bed.

"Did you have a nice time, dear?" asked Edaline.

"A wonderful time," said Sophie sleepily. "I'm so glad you guys agreed to go. The triplets are so funny. It really felt like family."

They smiled down at her, love radiating from their faces.

"We're glad, too, Sophie honey," said Grady, after glancing at Edaline. "It was nice to start breaking away at the shell we lived in for so many years. And we're so glad you got to spend time with your cousins."

"Cousins…" Sophie's mind trailed off, but before she fell asleep completely, there was one more thing she wanted to say.

"I love you, Mom and Dad."

Her eyes were shut fast for the night, but she heard in the distance as she drifted off to sleep "We love you too."


	10. Chapter 9

**Hi there readers! Back to more angst and a marvelous plot twist! (If I do say so myself lol) For some reason these chapters are easier to write...**

 **Thanks BlackSwanGirl, for the encouragement! Hopefully you won't mind a little more drama :)**

* * *

Chapter 9

The sunlight felt soft and warm on Kelse's hair and skin. It had been far too long, she realized, since she had enjoyed the light of day. It was with great reluctance that she finally pulled the dark hood over her head. She wrinkled her nose wryly.

"Eh, why do you wear it, if you hate it so much?" Keefe, who was close enough that their arms brushed, asked.

"I have to, Keefe." She reached up to her face, tracing the scars. "Besides, it's kinda regulation. We _all_ have to."

"It… makes it so real," he said, voice suddenly fragile.

Kelse reached for his hand and squeezed.

The Telepath materialized in front of them. Kelse didn't have to be an empath to feel the scowl through his hood's shadow.

"You," he growled. "I'd hoped you would be somewhere else."

"Nice to see you, too." Kelse forced civility into her tone.

"Don't they know how hard it makes this to have you around? It's like…"

"Trying to pick up a magnet in a box of nails?" offered Kelse, mischievously.

A snarl was all the answer she got.

"Well, let's get this over with," the Telepath snapped. He reached for Keefe's temples.

The boy's hand tightened around Kelse's as the probing began. Closing her eyes, she retreated into her mind, feeling the warring natures within it.

 _Human thoughts… human thoughts…_

The Telepath gasped, and Kelse looked up in time to see him start to shake, his hands digging into Keefe's head too hard. She squeezed the hand in hers encouragingly.

"I see the memories your mother left you are processing perfectly," the Telepath said. He chuckled darkly. Several more strained moments went by.

"Aha!" crowed the man at last, springing back. The teens tensed, exchanging worried glances.

"You let her get away on purpose! I saw it. You can't hide it from me!"

"Wh-what?" gasped Keefe.

"When Sophie Foster followed you to the rendezvous, you willfully enabled her to escape. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Sophie wasn't part of the deal," Keefe shouted. "I gave her the leaping crystal just in case anything ever happened to her. I didn't know she was going to follow me! There was only one crystal, only one escape, but I owed her that much. She opened my mind for you guys, in a way. And anyway, I fulfilled my end of the bargain. It wasn't time to capture Sophie."

"That was hardly your choice to make," the Telepath objected, but his voice was less accusing. He stood, as if thinking for a moment, then his hand reached up to rub his head.

"I see no reason to stay here any longer," he said. "I dare say I didn't find everything I was supposed to, but my hands were tied." Pulling out his pathfinder, he vanished in an indignant swirl of glittering light and dark fabric.

* * *

"We did it!" Keefe squealed, bouncing up and down on the davenport.

"Are you sure? That was a pretty dangerous secret he uncovered." Kelse sank down, more dignified. They had been too stunned to speak at first, just going into the dugout.

"No really," Keefe said. "Of all the things he could have found, I think that one's okay. I mean, I'm pretty sure they already suspected it was true. How did you _do_ that? I seriously could feel the pain you sent him. It was _intense_. And so sudden!"

Kelse grinned evilly. "I can shift my thoughts between elvish and human. I learned how when my dad used to take me places where there were other elves, and they were complaining about my thoughts being too sharp. I discovered that it's almost like a switch between the human part of my mind and the elven part. He had to keep his mind open to probe you, so he couldn't block me when I shifted."

"Awesome!" Keefe beamed.

"Yeah." Kelse felt proud at the praise, but couldn't help deflating a little. "Too bad my Father doesn't think so. It reminds him too much of my failings."

"I'm sorry." Keefe quieted, sitting still beside her.

"It's more than that, you know. It's not just how human I am. It's that I never got a special ability. He desperately wanted his problem of a child to redeem his name by manifesting a wonderful, indispensable ability that would be so useful that no one would question us again. Instead, I'm pretty terrible at all things elf, and it's a fairly sure bet by now that I'll be a talentless drag on everyone. He tried so hard, getting everyone he knew to attempt to trigger something."

"But how did you slap away my hand, then, that first day I tried to take your hood off? I was sure you were a Psionipath or something."

Kelse smiled, sadness still tingeing her expression. "I trained in basic elven skills and knowledge with the younger agents, most of the time either Alvar, who could teach me the things he'd learned at Foxfire, or Ruy, who took a morbid pleasure in teaching me the lessons of Exillium. He would beat me up, saying it was just PE and I was too weak. He used his force fields against me over and over, until all I wanted was to manifest that ability myself and get back at him. I eventually learned that I could use telekinetic force in a similar way. I trained by myself for months, and when I finally gave Ruy what he deserved, he refused to train me any further. I'd had two years of training with him already, though, so I didn't feel like I was losing out. In fact, I was glad to see him go."

She played with a seam on the davenport.

"I feel like I spend all my time wishing I fit in, trying to fit in, but I don't even want to be here. It's all so messed up."

Keefe said nothing, but when, after a long silence, Kelse finally looked up, his face mirrored her feelings exactly. Keefe was so much like her, had suffered so many of the same trials she had. No one could ever have the connection they could. They were indelibly linked. Without even meaning to, she took his hand, and leaned her shoulder against his. At first, he didn't react. Then, he squeezed her fingers, and leaned into her arm.

"Happy one week anniversary," she whispered.

He smiled crookedly. "Yay me."

They sat like that, and Kelse couldn't remember feeling so right in… well, years, if not ever.

And that's when it happened.

Just for an instant, she felt something. Peace, contentment, happiness, camaraderie. It was hard, because those were precisely the feelings she was experiencing, but suddenly, they seemed to be coming from outside her body. She gasped. "Did you feel that?"

"What?" Keefe looked at her quizzically.

Kelse paused, to be sure. But there was no other explanation.

"I think I just felt your emotions."


	11. Chapter 10

**I'm ashamed of myself for not geeking out sufficiently over the last chapter's POV because KELSE'S POV OH MY! Now that that's over with, (lol) here's chapter 10. It's not my best work, and the end is somewhat abrupt because it was getting long and I needed more Sophie's world chapters so I cut it in half, but I hope it's ok.**

 **Strikestar , aww, thank you for saying the last chapter was sweet! It _was_ more cozy and innocent in a way than all the other drama. And here's some more!**

 **BlackSwanGirl , WOW I can't believe how excited you are! And You'll have to wait to find out the rest of Kelse's story... (Cue evil author laughter) And please breathe! No hyperventilating on me! Also, Congrats, I'm so happy for you! (x100)**

 **Xylia Neo , Thank you so much! You manage to compliment constructively, and in the meantime I'm blushing... I still can't believe you're talking to me, about my story! Yes, it's going to be complicated having Kelse's human side involved, and remember that is also true of her special ability. (No, that's it for the spoilers)**

* * *

Chapter 10

As the familiar glass pyramid winked into view, Sophie was all jitters. Putting on the orange (amber? whatever…) uniform that morning felt funny, but also like the beginning of a healing process. Vertina had made a wry crack about rotten oranges, but before Sophie left, she'd also said "it's good to have you back," and smiled shyly before turning herself off.

Sophie stood, Dex holding her hand on one side, Bex clinging sweetly to her on the other. Dex was frantically trying to wrangle the little boys with his free hand. Beside them, the Vackers materialized, looking fragile and scared, holding each other tightly. The Song twins appeared a moment later, Tam's face stormy and fierce, Linh's nervous. Together, the friends made their way into the school.

Foxfire hadn't changed since they left. Prodigies dashed to and from their lockers, shrieking at the access strip's taste. Apparently, Elwin had picked the day's flavor. Sophie and Dex, who dropped off the triplets in the level one atrium, watched as Rex and Bex choked opening their lockers. Lex licked expectantly.

"Mmm, barbecue sauce," he said.

Everyone stared at him, even a few kids from neighboring lockers.

"What?" he demanded. "It's barbecue sauce, right?"

" _NO_ , it's not," said Bex. "It's skunk cabbage."

"But skunk cabbage smells like barbecue sauce, so-"

"First, _ew,_ " began Bex.

"And second, how do you know what barbecue sauce is?" added Sophie.

"My mom saw it in a human movie, and there was a recipe, so my dad whipped some up. It was amazing!"

"Um, I don't even know what to say to that," Sophie decided.

"You'll get used to _that_ if you stick around the triplets," Dex advised. "They're a hazard."

"Don't mind my brothers- any of them," said Bex, coming over to Sophie and looking sweetly up into her face. "You know they're just boys." Sophie felt her heart melt a little, and a smile climbed up the corners of her mouth.

"Thanks," she said. Glancing up, she saw Dex's scowl, and added "We should be getting to our own lockers."

* * *

Seeing Magnate Leto on the big screen felt weird after she had learned his identity, but Sophie didn't let the weirdness show, and Keefe wasn't there to notice, which thought made for even more depression. She couldn't concentrate as the principle made a small, pompous speech about coming back from midterms. Her ears pricked, however, when he segued into another topic.

"In other news, our exchange students have returned from studying abroad. Please welcome them as if they had never left. Thank you." The screen clicked off. No spotlights were shined on the little group standing awkwardly together. A few students nearby shot them curious or nervous looks, but they scurried off to their classes without saying a word.

"That went a lot better than I expected," observed Sophie.

"What's an exchange student?" asked Biana.

"Studying abroad?" added Tam skeptically.

"They're human terms. It's fairly common for high school or college students to go to a different school, often in a different country, to study for a term."

"Oh," said Biana. "But, they aren't being punished or anything though."

"No," agreed Sophie. "I assume the Council just wanted the situation minimized by any means possible."

"I'll bet," Fitz said darkly. "I'd give anything to hear them say "we were wrong" just once." He snorted. "But that'll never happen."

Biana put a hand on Fitz's arm, and Sophie wanted to do the same, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she looked away, then realized it was time for class.

"We've got to go," she said quickly. See you guys at lunch."

Elvin History just couldn't keep Sophie's attention, even though Sir Beckett was being really nice. He welcomed her graciously, shortened his lecture, and gave her a simple assignment, but her mind simply refused to cooperate.

"How am I ever going to survive Linguistics with Lady Cadence?" she moaned over lunch.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine," said Fitz encouragingly. Sophie snorted.

"It still feels funny not having Keefe here with us," said Biana, her voice quivering.

"Not really, he's usually in detention at lunch. Just imagine that, and it's like old times," Fitz pointed out, sounding way too cheerful.

Dex grinned a little in spite of himself. "He _would_ have found a way to get detention on the first day back from midterms. It was a gift."

"He would've been alone," objected Sophie.

"Nope, he wouldn't. Rex and Lex already have detention today for trying to switch morning classes." Dex sighed.

Sophie couldn't believe that she'd missed the fact that both of the smaller boys were not in the cafeteria. Bex was at her elbow, looking shy but pleased to be sitting with the big kids, but she hadn't even thought to look for the other two small Dizznees.

Sophie left her friends early so she wouldn't be late for her next class in the Silver Tower. She still managed to trip up to the imposing door right as the bell rang, and when she knocked, the figure that greeted her was none other than Lady Cadence herself, looking as grumpy as ever.

"Oh!" Sophie gasped. She'd forgotten that her stuffy mentor was also the new beacon.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't we?" demanded the woman, handing her the specially shortened silver cape.

"I'm sorry, Lady Cadence-"

" _Master_ Cadence," interrupted that individual.

"Um, yes, _Master_ Cadence." Was that even the proper word? Sophie thought the feminine form was mistress. "I'm sorry, I'll try harder next time."

"You'd better," huffed the beacon. "I'll be able to watch you more closely now that I'll be letting you into the building on a regular basis."

Because that was just great.

When they got to the classroom, though, Master Cadence wanted to hear everything that had happened in Ravagog, and listened intently as Sophie told the story. When she was finished, the mentor pummeled her with questions, seeming especially interested in Sophie's description of King Dimitar's mind, and it wasn't until the session was almost over that Sophie realized they had shifted to Ogre, then Gnomish, and even French during the conversation. When the bell rang signaling study hall, Master Cadence stood.

"Not don't be late for this, too," she said in a half-snap, but her eyes weren't as sharp as usual. "And don't think that because I went easy on you you're going to be able to slack the rest of the year. I expect to hear some perfect mimicking by next week."

Sophie stifled her inner sigh. At least the raven-haired mentor had given her a little bit of a break.


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey guys, guess what? It's my birthday! In honor of that, here is what has to be my favorite chapter yet, and hopefully the one you've all been waiting for! I keep cracking up when I read it, so I hope it makes you smile, too. It's really long - over 2,000 words, and it has a lot packed in. Watch out for two movie references, as well as a specially altered figure of speech. If you catch them, or if you just have thoughts about the chapter as a whole, please review and let me know!**

 **A note about the last chapter: I actually do know a boy who thinks skunk cabbage smells like barbecue sauce. I (and everyone else he tells) think he's crazy, but that's where I got the idea.**

 **Strikestar, glad to see you back! Thanks for the sweet reviews. Cliffhangers are a really good idea! I'll try to keep that in mind in the future, though I pretty much have the next several chapters planned out.**

 **Now, the moment when all your theories are put to the test!**

* * *

Chapter 11

Talking about emotions with a grumpy old mentor at school was one thing. Talking about emotions with a pretty girl - especially the emotions he had just been feeling - was completely different. Keefe was the only Empath available, however, so he pushed aside his embarrassment (another emotion he didn't need Kelse feeling) and tried his best.

After freaking out a _lot_ for a few minutes, Kelse described everything to him, from the sensation to the emotions she'd felt. It sounded exactly like she had manifested as an empath.

"Which is funny," she remarked, "since there are no Empaths in my father's family."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Keefe asked.

"I have absolutely no genetic predisposition for it."

Keefe just stared, feeling a short circuit coming on.

"Oh, good grief!" Kelse huffed. "The elves are _sooo_ much smarter, but it takes humans to discover genetics? Why do you think there is only one Inflictor? Because the original Inflictor never had any progeny to pass on the inflicting gene. Same with Descrying. Telepathy is rare and distinctive because the original Telepath was also the first Vacker. The Vackers went on to become such celebrities that intermarriage was a big deal. There are expectations, standards, images to be considered even now."

"So," Keefe said slowly, trying to wrap his mind around the information, "if Sophie has kids one day," he fought to keep the blush from his cheeks, "and Councillor Grumpypants never does…"

"Then in the future, Inflictors will all have both positive and negative abilities. Bronte's brand of the power will be queer and one-of-a-kind."

Keefe grinned, then remembered he was thinking about Sophie having children, and it got weird again. "How do you know all this?" he asked.

"Genetic science is one of the most difficult fields of human study. As a young elf trying to find a challenge in human schools, I was naturally attracted to it. Besides, I find it fascinating."

Of course she wanted a challenge. Keefe glared.

"The point is," Kelse continued, rolling her eyes, "my father is a Flasher and my mother… Oh!" She paused, staring into space, mouth open.

"Um, what?" Keefe prompted.

"No one knows how human DNA would affect elven DNA, because they've never been mixed before. Not that anyone knows, anyway. Why… But I'll have to think on that a little."

They tried to trigger it again, but nothing happened. Finally, Kelse looked outside through the lone, dingy window.

"Yikes, it's late!" she cried, leaping up. "I have to be getting home, but I'll be by with some dinner before I go to sleep, and I'll see you in the morning! Oh, and Keefe," she paused mid-stride, turning to him. She didn't say anything else, just staring at him. He felt just as speechless and stared back, until they wrapped each other in a hug, holding tight for a long time. Finally, Kelse pulled away and hurried out the door.

* * *

"I've got an idea," whispered Kelse conspiratorially. The teens were standing in the doorway watching Alvar appear on the edge of the clearing late in the afternoon of the following day. Kelse herself had arrived only moments before. She had combed her hair over the right side of her face, completely covering the scars, as well as her eye - although she seemed to be able to see as well as ever.

"Uh oh." Keefe offered.

"Oh, phooey." The girl wrinkled her nose.

"Can it wait?" asked Keefe. "Now is so not the time."

"It's important!" Kelse insisted. "And relevant. I have a theory about my ability. What if it isn't…"

"Good morning," Alvar called as he strode toward them.

"Keefe you won't say anything about my having manifested, will you?" Kelse begged with her eyes.

"Of course not." Keefe turned his back on Alvar and walked into the dugout. He could hear Alvar's deep sigh as he ducked in behind, but when Alvar had passed him, Kelse beckoned, then pulled Keefe back into the doorway.

"Just watch. I'm going to test my theory, and if I'm right about my ability, you'll get it right away. And well, whatever you do, don't laugh."

Keefe could only think in exclamation points at that, but he managed to nod before they went in, closing the door behind them.

Alvar was clearly there for a heart to heart. He sat down facing Keefe (who plopped on the couch) in the stiff, very uncomfortable chair and leaned forward.

"It's beginning to be time for you to grow into your rightful place as one of the Neverseen," he began. "You've come a long way for this, and I know you don't understand it all yet, but you will after this. All we ask is for you to complete one mission, to prove yourself. You simply have to do your best. You were always meant to be one of us. The nature of the mission is infiltration and information retrieval. You will be sent to a human city to gather information about a nuclear waste facility. Learn everything you can, and return unsuspected. Not too difficult, really, but incredibly important. The humans near this plant are already on the alert from a former botched mission. If we're discovered, there will be serious repercussions, but you can do this, Keefe. I believe in you."

Meanwhile, Kelse was standing behind Alvar, being very weird. She blew on her hands and rubbed them quietly together. Then, she touched the back of his neck experimentally. The Vanisher didn't notice, so she pulled back her hand, grinning clownishly, and made silly swishing hand gestures. Keefe bit the inside of his lip so hard it made a bump that didn't smooth out when he finally relaxed. What was she doing? She closed her eyes and breathed out, looking exactly like Sophie did when she was concentrating on an ability. After a moment, Kelse reached out her hand again and placed it on Alvar's neck, her eyes still closed, her lips tight, a tooth poking out between them. Keefe looked away quickly to avoid reacting. When he looked back more than a minute later, she was gone.

Wait, what?

It took all his willpower not to frantically scan the room. How had she disappeared so quickly? Suddenly, she appeared out of thin air behind Alvar, grinning so broadly her face looked as if it would crack. She bounced silently, then vanished again. This time, her legs stayed visible. She reappeared, scowled, then vanished again, completely this time.

Keefe couldn't believe his eyes. What did this mean? Was she a Vanisher now, too? He wiped the shock off his face, but his mind was racing. Kelse pointed with her free hand, then turned all but the pointing hand invisible. Slowly, she faded the hand, then popped back into sight laughing noiselessly. Keefe forced himself to concentrate on Alvar for a moment, and when he glanced back up, Kelse was standing with only her left side visible. She made a thumbs up, pointing to her face. When Keefe looked again, only her broad grin was showing, and it was tilting back and forth. He choked.

"What is going on back there?" demanded Alvar, frowning and spinning around. Kelse was standing, completely visible, holding two fingers over his head.

"Bunny ears!" she giggled.

"Stop that," he said harshly. "Come here where I can see you. I'm trying to be serious." He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her around to face him.

"Listen, this is a serious assignment," he said, making eye contact with them both. "The Neverseen is putting a lot of trust in you. This is the opening you've been waiting for. Are you ready for it?"

There was a falling feeling in Keefe's gut. Was he really ready to completely give over to the Neverseen? Pack the last bit of soil around the Wanderling of his relationship with Sophie and the others? He glanced over at Kelse, who smiled sadly and squeezed his hand. She would be there for him, no matter what, supporting him and doing whatever it took to keep them safe. He called up all his resolve.

"Yes, I'm ready."

* * *

"What was all that?" Keefe asked when Alvar had left. Kelse spun, letting the serious mood vaporize, eyes aglow.

"I've got it! I've figured out my ability! I was right- the human DNA messed up my limbic center, so I don't have the capacity for my own full ability. Instead, I can use other people's abilities, just by touching them and concentrating. I have a unique ability! No one else in the world has it! I'm a pioneer in special abilities! I…" She shook Keefe so hard his brain started to rattle.

"Eek, stop!" he gasped. She let go and dove headfirst onto the couch, then ran out the door, then ran back and plowed into the couch again. Red faced, she turned over, panting and giggling in a disturbing combination. A lot of her hair was flying all around her head with static electricity, while other strands clung damply to her face. Even with her scars showing, Keefe realized that she was very beautiful.

"I started to wonder last night, when my father- um, well he was, uh, touching me, and I was feeling a- eh- emotional, and just for a second I thought I called an orb of light." She was stuttering so much, and her emotions were wriggling in such a way, it made Keefe think she had been feeling hurt and anger, and her father's touch hadn't been as welcome as the hand holding they had shared the day before.

"I'm trying to think of the perfect name," Kelse continued. "What do you think about 'Borrower?'"

"Be- cause you're borrowing abilities," Keefe pieced together, pulling himself out of the thought. He considered sitting down, then decided against it. Kelse was still glowing too much - he didn't want another shaking.

"Yes, plus they're characters in a book," she said.

"Who?"

"The Borrowers."

"Elves who could borrow abilities?" Keefe felt a little confused.

"No, of course not." Exasperation leaked into Kelse's voice. "The Borrowers were little people who lived in normal people's houses and 'borrowed' small everyday objects to use as their big everyday objects."

That was confusing, too, but Keefe decided not to ask for an explanation.

"I'm so happy for you, really," he said. "Think of how much fun we could have! The pranking possibilities - you could set up a great prank that requires a certain ability to trigger, then totally set someone up!"

Kelse giggled. "You and pranks - you'd think they were the highest calling in the world."

"Aren't they?"

Kelse shoved him playfully with her foot, then sat up enough to let him sit beside her.

"You really think it's cool? You don't think it's a lame ability?" she asked when he sat down, wrapping her arm through his.

"No! Kelse, it's perfect. I couldn't be more proud. After all, I practically triggered it singlehandedly." He smirked.

"Ex _cuse_ me?" Kelse shoved him, and they dissolved into a slapping and pushing match, cackling until their sides hurt. Finally, exhausted, fingers twined, they leaned back on the couch, breathing hard and feeling each other's contentment pulsing through their joined hands.

"Keefe," Kelse turned her head to look at the boy, "I'd like you to see a little of my old life."

"How?" Keefe shifted his shoulder to tilt himself toward her. "You gonna 'borrow' a telepath?"

"No." She smiled. "I was thinking a field trip. I haven't had a chance to share both sides of my life with anyone before. There are places I want you to see - and someone I want you to meet."

"Will the Neverseen allow it?"

"I think I can be convincing enough." She squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back, wondering if it was wrong to be so content and happy and whole when his entrance exam to an evil rebel group was scheduled for the day after tomorrow.


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey there, strangers! I haven't updated in almost a week, I know. Among homework and other monsters, I had to try to write this little stinker of a chapter. I'm still not completely sold on it, (seems jumpy to me,) but I gave it my best shot.**

 **Did you guys guess/want to know the movie references I mentioned? I will explain them before the next chapter, but I was really hoping you would tell me whether you got them or not. (Review hinting...)**

 **Thanks to cristal368 for following and favoriting, it means so much!**

 **Reviews:  
Xylia Neo, Thanks you! I really tried to make it unique and still true to Shannon's world at the same time. And wow, I didn't do it on purpose, but you're right, she is unusually powerful! As to the question, I'm not sure whether to say, since it's kinda spoilers, but here's a clue: {*whispers* itdependsonwhoshe'swith, and itwillhavealottodowithhowmuchshepractices.} :)  
BlackSwanGirl, Me too! It's like the best of all the worlds.  
Strikestar, Thanks, and cool! And I have to admit I was pretty smug when I came up with that name. (lol)  
Kotlc Fan 1, I'm glad you're enjoying! Here is the next bit!**

* * *

Chapter 12

"We made it through the first day back, guys!" Sophie said, relief ironing the tension from her muscles as they made their way to the leapmaster. "How did everyone do?"

"It was pretty normal," remarked Fitz. "How about you?"

"They seemed to be going easy on me. Not that I'm complaining," she added quickly.

"Normal for me, too, although I had to be called out of my morning session to get the Rex and Lex debacle straightened out," said Dex ruefully.

"I- don't really remember," murmured Biana, and Sophie noticed that her eyes were glassy.

They all turned to Tam and Linh.

"It was interesting," Linh said slowly. "A decidedly different school day than we are accustomed to, but not any worse than Exillium."

The prodigies closest in line glanced up, then shied away at the mention of the dreaded school.

"I still think it is a mistake for us to be here," Tam contended, scowling. He looked at Linh for a moment. Sophie remembered what Mr. Forkle had said about the twins' entrance scores. "But perhaps it will prove to be for the best," he said grudgingly.

"I'm glad you guys aren't outcasts anymore," Sophie put in after a minute of shuffling forward in the line and contemplating. "I know the other kids don't think very much of you right now, but you have friends, a home, and hope for a future again." She hoped she hadn't pushed too far. Tam gave her a skeptical look, but Linh smiled as they reached the platform, called for the Wanderling Woods, where they would meet a gnome and leap to Alluveterre, and glittered away.

"So, you coming over?" asked Dex as he called for Mysterium, trying to round up the triplets.

"Oh, um, sure!" said Sophie, and she didn't miss the way Bex's eyes lit up. She still felt a little awkward spending so much time with them, but it was so good to have a family again. "Let me drop off my stuff at home, and I'll be right over."

"Can I come home with you?" Bex asked, her voice full of wonder and hope.

"Bex, don't be rude!" ordered Dex.

"No, it's ok," insisted Sophie. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, but she didn't want to shut them out anymore. "We girls have to stick together, after all." She grinned down at her cousin, who beamed back.

At Havenfield, Sophie worried that the younger girl's eyes would bug out. Verdi was on a rampage, and a dozen gnomes were trying to catch her, Edaline was trying to calm down a new arrival that Sophie didn't recognize, and there was a terrible screeching coming from a distant pasture, mixed with the sound of Grady, yelling unintelligibly. Sophie led Bex into the house, shaking her head.

"It gets hectic like this," she said apologetically. "You get used to it."

"It gets hectic like this at home, too," replied Bex, making Sophie shudder at the look of pure mischief in her eyes.

"Whoa," Bex gasped as Sophie opened the door to her room. "Is this all yours?"

"All mine," Sophie confirmed. "Kinda big, huh?"

"It's huge! I wish I had this much space to myself."

"Don't you think it would be too big after a while?" Even though she appreciated all the personal space, Sophie sometimes missed the cozy atmosphere her human room had provided.

Bet sighed. "Yeah, I guess. At least I don't have to share like Rex and Lex, even though they don't mind. They like sharing because they can scheme at night when they go to bed, and they can share homework."

Sophie grabbed a black and white tunic and some leggings, and took them into her bathroom to change. When she came out, Bex was staring at Vertina, open-mouthed.

"What are you gaping for?" Vertina's shrill voice demanded.

"What…"

"That's Vertina. She's a spectral mirror. She belonged to Jolie," Sophie called out, amused.

"Cool," Bex breathed.

"Hmph," sniffed Vertina. "I will not be gawked at by a pipsqueak." She turned herself off with an indignant click.

"You'll have to excuse Vertina. She can be a little rude," Sophie said drily.

"Wow." Bex was rapt. "That was so awesome!"

From the bed, Iggy let out a growl. Bex turned in surprise. "Iggy!" she crowed. "Dex told us about him!" She raced over to the little imp and ruffled his fur. He purred appreciatively.

"I'm ready whenever you are," Sophie said.

"Can I come back?" Bet looked up hopefully, cradling the little imp in her arms.

"Of course." Sophie was surprised to realize that she was looking forward to spending time with the girl.

They leaped over to the Dizznee home, where there was more pandemonium. Rex and Lex were shouting and running in circles while Juline shook her head, eyes closed, one hand on her hip, the other holding a wooden spoon.

"But we didn't disobey! You never said not to switch places!" one of them - Sophie couldn't tell who was who - was saying.

"You still didn't give an honest effort to starting the term right! And during the first session after midterm break, too. You boys know better. That's why you're being punished."

Dex saw the girls and walked over, rolling his eyes.

"Mom said they have to help out at the store today because of the fiasco this morning. They _hate_ helping. Dad never lets them near the cool ingredients, and always manages to have a gigantic, disgusting mess for them to clean." He was grinning so widely, Sophie wondered if his face would split in half.

They walked toward the house as the yelling began to die down. "Good afternoon, Aunt Juline," Sophie called.

"Good afternoon, Sophie! How nice to see you! There's a snack inside waiting."

Sophie didn't know what the food was, but it was delicious. Afterward, she, Dex, and the triplets played base quest - no abilities - until Kessler came to collect Rex and Lex.

"Want to see my room?" Bex asked when the boys had been dragged kicking and screaming into the light.

"Sure." Sophie smiled down at her.

The little girl's room was about the size of Sophie's old room in L.A., but brighter and cheerier. She showed Sophie the secret drawer that popped out of the seemingly seamless wall when she pressed in the right place, and the way she could sneak out the window and along the ivy into the younger boys' room next door.

"It comes in handy for plo- thinking things up," Bex explained.

Sophie was actually sorry when it was time to go, but she knew she shouldn't stay away from Grady and Edaline for too long. As she headed downstairs to the door, Dex caught up with her.

"Come again soon, Sophie," he said.

"Yeah, and stay for dinner again sometime, like maybe tomorrow," added Bex, who was right behind them.

"I will," Sophie promised, "sometime soon. Thank you guys, so much. Really."

She and Dex smiled at each other for a moment, and the brotherly love and acceptance that passed between them made her feel warm and whole inside.


	14. Chapter 13

**Oh my goodness, guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in... almost a month?! *hides face in shame* I hope I still have some readers, even though I don't deserve them. At least here are 3,345 words to make up for it. Longest chapter yet, woohoo! It was SO HARD to write, tho...**

 **In other news, the Lodestar hype! So exciting! And since I have zero friends who are Keeper fans, can I just say a few words about the portraits? Dex came out on my birthday- best gift ever! Did anyone else think that Tam didn't look enough like a K-pop star after what Sophie thought of them? And then Keefe... Honestly, I never really liked Keefe as a** **character while reading the books, but as I've been writing this story, I've really started to become attached. Seeing the portrait and how wasted he looked just killed me.**

 **I'll admit I was a little disappointed that no one wanted to know the references I mentioned, but just in case there are lurkers (such as I was just two months ago) who want to know, Kelse impersonated the Hobo from Polar Express, then the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland during her time testing the Vanishing/Borrowing skill.**

 **NOW on to the reviews:**

 **bookishgirl : Why thank you!  
** **PokeMANS:** **I know! I am so happy for this time Sophie has to relax, brief though it may be... And you may call on those rights. The plot twist is coming, believe me! but it's still a few chapters away. (I'm trying, peoples!)  
Kotlc 1 fan: You're welcome! And thanks so much! ****Honestly, the reviews mean so much to me even when they're guest reviews. Anything, any feedback, and messages that someone's actually reading helps! Here is, after a long and arduous wait, the next installment. [Were all three of those reviews yours? I'm assuming so]  
Strikestar: :)  
Guest: You don't know what an encouragement it was to get a review even though I hadn't updated in weeks. Thanks, and here!**

 **Plus, Big bonus thank you! to Roseyred155 for following and ****favoriting!**

 **Now, on to the story. *Lost in Space announcer voice activated* Last time, as you may recall, we left all our characters from both parts of the story feeling whole, content, and otherwise too happy for this to last. Even though this chapter is mostly background and setup, I promise you'll get action any time now...**

* * *

Chapter 13

"They approved our field trip!"

Kelse was standing in the doorway, looking… stunning? Keefe wasn't sure how to describe it. She was wearing a red knit dress with puffy cap sleeves and creamy, flower-filled stripes adorning the collar, cuffs, and scalloped mid-thigh length hem. Underneath, she was wearing jeans and tan ankle boots. A matching set of beret, ear warmers, fingerless gloves, scarf, and shawl in purple with brown accents looked warm, handmade, and very smart on her. Her hair lay over half her face, covering her scars. She handed him a bundle that included a pair of flannel lined jeans, a black t-shirt, and a green fleece lined pullover as well as matching green and black fleece lined flannel earmuffs.

"I'll wait outside while you change," she said. As Keefe tried on the outfit, he couldn't help but notice how well the bluish forest green looked on him, and wondered if Kelse had picked it herself. He opened the door and let her in.

"Why are these pants so awfully stiff?" he gasped, trying to sit in them.

Kelse laughed. "Jeans are one of the most worn items of clothing in the human world, known for their versatility and durability. I think they're an acquired taste, though. A lot of people have tried to convince me that they're comfortable, but I must be spoiled by elven fabric or something." She patted her own denim-clad leg. "I wear jean leggings, which have the same good qualities, but feel like normal cotton leggings, not stiff or bulky, although they're tighter."

"Why don't they have that for guys, then?" Keefe demanded.

Kelse made an odd giggling sound. "They just don't. You know, they're _tight_. Even I won't wear them without a skirt on the top, and I'm a girl. It's just not _proper_."

"Proper?"

"You know, um, modest." Kelse was blushing.

Keefe sighed. "How am I going to show off my incredible good looks to their best extent with you around talking about modesty?" He patted his hair, making it even more perfectly mussed.

"WELL then are we ready?" Kelse changed the subject as fast as she could. "Officially, this is a training mission to prepare you for tomorrow," she added, winking.

"How am I going to leave? I have a proximity cuff on." Keefe waved his wrist, smirking in appreciation of the ploy.

Kelse held up her own wrist, where she wore a strange square, like a tiny black imparter on a nexus-like band that held several crystal charms.

"This," Kelse said. "It's my smartwatch. I won't go into all the human details, but it's the latest and greatest in human devices. It was a present from my father when I still lived in the forbidden cities. He had it specially altered by the Neverseen's Technopath to be compatible with both human and elven technology. As well as being fully functional in it's human capacity, I can use it as an imparter, and the band is my nexus as well as my pathfinder."

"You still use a nexus?" Keefe was surprised. Even slow learners usually got them off by 15.

Kelse scowled. "It's the human in me. My mind is simply incapable of holding all my particles. But the bracelet is really stylish, and look!"

She held up the band. Inset at even intervals were five crystals, two blue, two yellow and one white, like decorative jewels. But when she twisted one of them, it protruded out of the bracelet, creating a thin path of light.

"Wow," breathed Keefe.

Kelse beamed. "I know! So cool, right?"

"Where can you go?"

Kelse counted off the jewels as she spoke. "The yellow ones go to Neverseen bases, the white one goes to Mysterium - that's a special one, from my father, the only place in the lost cities I can go - and the blue ones are from my human life. That's what we'll be using today."

"I still fail to understand," Keefe grumbled, trying not to show how impressed he was, "how this helps with my proximity cuff."

"Because," Kelse said, wrinkling her nose at him, "I can switch your cuff to signal to my watch instead of to the monitor here. They'll be able to tell how far apart we stay, but they won't be able to see where we are."

Keefe grinned. "Let's go, then," he said.

Kelse reached over and flipped a tiny switch on his cuff. Then she twisted one of her blue crystals and held it up to the light, whisking them away.

* * *

They materialized on a snow covered hill beside a frosty, unpaved street. The air was crisp and freezing, the landscape punctuated with assorted piles of snow.

"Welcome to Siberia!" Kelse proclaimed cheerfully.

"What kind of place is this?" Keefe asked, not sure whether to be awed or horrified.

"Originally, Siberia was the equivalent of Exile for Russia, a huge human country. Now, it's also the equivalent of Exile for Russia, but it's also the home of thousands of innocent people. Some are descendants of prisoners, some people actually moved here, believe it or not. Some people weren't exactly prisoners, but they were banished, and they and their descendants are still here as well."

"But where're the buildings?" Keefe couldn't see a single building, even the small rough structures humans constructed.

Kelse pointed to a nearby fantastically impressive clump of snow. "Behold the best restaurant in town!"

"You're joking," Keefe said flatly.

Kelse's eye twinkled. "Am I?"

Keefe looked closer. A small trail of pale grey smoke crept through a melty peak on the top of the mound. He gasped. "That's incredible! People actually live here? Are they mad?"

Kelse beamed. "That depends on who you ask," she replied. "But I prefer to call us resilient."

They struggled through the knee deep drifts to the road. The snow was so cold, it didn't even melt on their jeans, brushing off as easily as grass or wood chips. As they headed down to the center of town, the frost crunching beneath their feet, the brown fronts of buildings came into view. About a dozen sturdy constructions made up the main street, each sporting three sides completely buried in the drifting white blanket. As they walked, Kelse pointed out certain landmarks.

"That's the general store," she said, pointing to a long, low, squat affair. "And there is the gas station." Here she had to pause to explain gas to her confused companion, who immediately thought of gulons. When Keefe was sufficiently informed, she continued. "That's my friend Sashka's house, and that's a bed and breakfast. Don't ask whose brilliant idea it was to have a bed and breakfast here, because that's the oldest joke in town. It does get a visitor every couple of years, though," she added, answering Keefe's incredulous expression with a dry smile.

They continued walking down the single street. "There's the doctor's house. He has a clinic on the first floor, and lives above. His wife's the midwife, for the old fashioned folk." She had to stop again, to explain midwifery. "There is the school," she continued then, pointing to a tiny shack-like thing. "It's not much to look at, but at least we have one. Beside it is the church - Russian Orthodox." This was a more impressive building, but Keefe decided not to ask for an explanation this time. "The local farmers meet in that building to discuss sales and other farm related business. And there is the one office building: it belongs to a mining corporation, which has several sites in this area."

"That's… it?"

"Um, yeah. It's Siberia, what did you expect?"

"Well, I didn't expect _anything_ , since you didn't even tell me where we were going, but the only place in the human world I've ever been in is Italy, and I'm guessing that isn't near here?"

"Definitely not," agreed Kelse.

But where do all the people live? I thought humans lived in groups, in towns."

"Not here. There are a few; the doctor, the bed and breakfast owners, the gas station owner, Sashka's dad, who runs the mining office, but most people live on their own land. Even the grocer has a good sized farm, although that's right behind his store."

As Kelse led the way back to the restaurant, Keefe could see in the way she looked around how much she missed living here. She took one last pained glance around before pulling the door open, shaking the light sheen of snow off.

Delicious smells tickled their noses as they walked in. Hot, steamy air enveloped them, chasing the cold from their bones. A roaring fire burned across the room, momentarily making Keefe shiver, but he quickly realized that that was the reason the room was so warm. The atmosphere was cozy and friendly, despite the fact that all the windows were dark with snow.

"Kelsey! моя милая девочка, как ты! Это было так давно…"

 **[AN In english, "Kelsey my sweet little girl, how are you! It's been so long…" I Totally didn't google translate that… nope… lol sorry anyone who actually speaks Russian- Google is famously imperfect]**

A large man strode into the room from the direction of the smells - most likely the kitchen. Keefe's mind did a double take as he tried to understand the rolling words. His mom being a polyglot, he felt order in the sounds, but he couldn't quite understand. He hadn't even thought about the fact that they might not be speaking in either of the human languages he'd heard Sophie speak - English and Italian.

"…Keefe Sencen." He snapped back to the conversation when he heard Kelse say his name.

"Hey," he said weakly, putting up his hand to wave, but the burly man grasped it and wrung it so hard the circulation gave up trying.

"так рада встретиться с вами!" shouted the man. **["So happy to meet you!"]** He seemed excited, so Keefe figured that was a good thing.

"This is Vasily, the owner of the restaurant. His family has run it for 50 years," Kelse said with an amused smile. "He's delighted to meet you. Want to have a seat?"

They sat in one of the booths near the fire, Vasily chattering away the whole time. From the way Kelse was blushing, and the way the man waved his hands, Keefe suspected the conversation was revolving around the fact that they were out alone together. When he finally left them for the kitchen, Kelse sighed, but didn't seem as bothered as she acted.

"The people here can be so nosy it's beyond annoying, but I love them, Keefe. I miss being a part of their lives." She crushed her napkin in a white fist. "I can thank my father for that," she spat.

Keefe reached out to lay his hand over hers, but thought better of it when he realized they were probably being watched. Instead, he tried to lighten the mood.

"Well, they can hardly help but get ideas considering my awesomeness. I bet they've never seen anything like the Hair around here," he said with a smirk. "What language were you speaking?"

Kelse glared but answered "Russian."

"What, not in a place called Russia," Keefe said dramatically.

Kelse grinned. "You're a goose," she informed him.

Vasily brought them a strange but delicious soup, and the settled down to eating. Kelse was explaining the ethnic dish when the door flew open, someone shaking it carefully to remove the light dusting of snow that had collected in the last few minutes. A group of kids blew in, laughing, talking, and jostling each other. When they saw Kelse, they were obliged to surround her and talk in loud, excited tones, obviously catching up since they'd seen her last. She smiled and answered them, introducing Keefe and inviting them to sit. The rest of the four course meal was spent in happy Russian conversation, with Kelse stopping every now and then to translate into the enlightened language. It was so nice to see her happy and acting like a normal teenager that Keefe didn't really mind, and the food was really good. Finally, the others left. Kelsey explained that they had been on lunch break from school, and were returning for the afternoon. She got up and tried to pay Vasily for the meal. He refused, waving his hands emphatically, and Kelse thanked him profusely.

"Come on," she said in the enlightened language, "there's someone else I want you to meet."

They walked down the frozen road, going the opposite direction, away from the town, past the snowy hill they'd materialized on. Every few hundred yards, on one side or the other of the street, a gate appeared, visible through the deep snow because of the thin shoveled paths, usually surrounded by endless stretches of fence tops. Kelse pointed out several of the farms, matching them to kids they'd seen at lunch, but she spent most of the walk drinking in the scenery and the pure winter smell. Keefe reached for her hand, and they held tightly to each other as they made their way down the road.

They'd been walking for about half an hour when Kelse finally stopped in front of a weathered brown gate. She paused, hand hovering over the latch.

"I used to come back every month," she said, voice low and strained with sadness. "Sometimes, almost every week. I could keep up my music lessons, and see my family. But after the kidnapping last year, my father stopped letting me go out. I haven't been back since. I can't help but wonder how they're going to react, seeing me after all these months."

"They're going to be so happy, naturally," Keefe tried to reassure her.

"You don't know them, Keefe. What if…" she brushed a freezing tear from her cheek.

Keefe wanted to say something more comforting, but all that came out was "Sophie's kidnapping?"

"Yeah."

They were silent for several minutes, rooted to their spots, until with a half sob, half resigned sigh, Kelse pushed open the gate.

At the other side of the long windy path, a small, sturdy farmhouse rose like a mother duck surrounded with snowy ducklings that would have been outbuildings if they had been above the level of the snow. Sitting in a fluffy snowsuit on top of one of the largest piles was a small boy, making snow people.

"Danny!" Kelse cried, eyes full of tears.

"Kelsey!" The little boy rolled down the mound and straight into Kelse's arms. He was quite tiny, very delicate under the puffy snow gear. He chattered in lisping Russian until Kelse said gently, "You know, my friend here speaks the other way of talking I taught you. Remember how to say hello?"

"Hi," said the child in a shy, halting, heavily accented but clear version of the enlightened language.

"Whoa, I didn't know humans could learn…" Keefe marveled.

"It wasn't easy, but I needed someone to practice on," Kelse explained. "I didn't speak it quite instinctively, either, so I needed to keep it fresh between my father's visits. Keefe, this is my cousin Danny. Danny, This is my friend, Keefe. Danny's five. His mother died when he was born, and his father couldn't bear to be around here afterward, so I raised him. He's my little guy, aren't you?" She snuggled him with her nose.

Danny beamed. "Kelsey _is_ my momma," he said happily.

A lump formed in Keefe's throat for just a second.

"How's everything going?" Kelse asked Danny.

"Ok, I guess. I'm getting lessons with Mrs. Moorova now!" he suddenly remembered, and beamed.

"Awesome! That's my smart cookie!"

"Also," the boy's face fell a little, "Papa's got married. He says I have a new momma now. But _you're_ still my momma! …Right?" He looked so confused and worried.

"Is she nice?" Kelse's brows knit.

"Everyone thinks so, but I dunno, she's not like you, Kelsey."

"Well, Danny honey, you know I'm not around as much anymore. Maybe she'll be a better momma to you than I am."

"NO!" Danny shouted hoarsely, trembling all over. "No, I don't like her I want you don' let her be my momma _please."_ He buried his face in Kelse's dress and sobbed.

"Baby, I love you. Nothing will ever stop me" Kelse whispered, pulling him up into her arms.

Keefe cleared his throat, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He glanced up to see two figures coming from the house. He nudged Kelse.

They went inside at the insistence of Kelse's grandparents, two small, withered humans who had endured many hard summers and long winters, but still had wrinkled smiles for the teens. They stayed almost an hour, then Kelse said her goodbyes, saying they had another stop before they left.

"Where are we going?" Keefe asked.

"I hope you don't mind, but since we're here, I was going to have a lesson with Mrs. Moorova."

"Of course not," Keefe assured her, curious. "What does she teach?"

"Music. I take piano and voice lessons from her, have for over ten years."

"Um, maybe not, Elves are notoriously horrible with music," Keefe said warily.

Kelsey laughed. "Oh, my whole human family is very musical, and I've heard people call me a prodigy."

"A…"

"In human expression, a child who has a great amount of natural talent, and is exceptionally brilliant. Not that I'm puffed up enough to call myself that," she added, cheek coloring slightly.

"Well, you might not be, but I'm going to tell every human _I_ meet from now on that I'm a prodigy," Keefe informed her, fluffing his hair.

Kelse rolled her eyes. They walked down a nearly invisible side trail to a tiny shack-like house. Inside, it was warm and cheery. An old woman tended a pot on an old fashioned crane over her fire, and around the room ranged shelves of music books, a few small instruments, and an upright piano. All these Kelse identified in a whisper to Keefe, in between greeting the lady. Keefe was given a hot cup of tea and settled on the couch, then Mrs. Moorova and Kelse sat at the piano. Keefe couldn't believe the beauty of the sounds that drifted through the room as they played, the music warming and calming him inside better than the tea. Kelse moved on to singing, then paid the teacher in faded human currency, not like the euros Dex had had.

The light was fading fast when they left the cottage, and the teens' breath made crystalline clouds around their faces.

"Was the day ok?" Kelse asked wistfully.

"Of course!" Keefe stopped, turning to face her. "This place is wonderful! The people are amazing. I'd like to punch your father for taking you away. And hearing you make such beautiful sounds, so… indescribable. Like you." Impulsively, he stepped closer, grabbing her hands. They were so close, he could feel her breath on his face, could even barely make out the glint of her right eye through the streaked white curtain of hair. Her emotions were quivering as much as his were, and for a moment, they just stood there, paralyzed, staring into each other's eyes.

The moment was broken when Kelse's watch beeped delicately. She pulled away to read the message that popped up on the screen.

"My dad wants us home," she said. "Big day tomorrow, and all." She pushed by and started walking down the path, toward a lonely patch of light.

"Kelse!" Keefe called, unsure of what he was going to say.

The girl stopped walking, but didn't turn around. After a moment, Keefe felt her emotions wrench, as if she were… He took a step closer. She turned her head just enough for him to see the glitter of a tear in her eye, glistening in the last ray of light. She took a ragged breath, then held up her watch band, twisting a yellow crystal. She held out her hand, still not looking at him. Keefe took it with a heavy heart, and they glittered away.


	15. Chapter 14

**Here I am updating within a week! Yay me! Lol, kidding. (a little) I am going to try to put as many chapters as I can up before the real Lodestar comes out, but there's no way I can finish it before then, so I hope y'all will keep reading after November! One thing I promise; I _will_ finish the story before I finish reading Lodestar myself, no matter what that means. (I'm actually solving two problems at once, since when I first discovered the series, I read the first three books in 3 straight hours each, but when I have to wait a whole year for the next one, I really should take my time with the book, plus impetus for writingggg...) That, combined with the fact that I basically have the whole thing planned, means this story will remain spoiler free!**

 **Reviews:  
BlackSwanGirl: sorry you're confused. I will try to explain ****what I can so far: for one thing, remember Keefe can't tell what Kelse is feeling exactly without touching her, so he's guessing, but I will tell you the 'wrench' initially meant she was crying. There is more (much MUCH more) to it than that, but that's for the author to know and the reader to find out. (Cue dark laughter) Just keep in mind that Keefe *seems* to be falling _hard_ for his new female friend.  
Xylia Neo: Welcome back! Yes, yes he did, but _in what way?_ Is it wrong that I'm having so much fun toying with these poor characters?  
KOTLC 1 Fan: Aww, not the puppy dog eyes! I can't resist the puppy dog eyes! But I guess they worked, so hey. As for your story, of course! The title sound intriguing. I would live to read your story, and hopefully will, but - and THIS GOES FOR EVERYONE, SO PLEASE READ GUYS - while I really would love to read every single Keeper fanfic, (as well as the fanfics for PJO, Miraculous Ladybug, Kane Chronicles, and HTTYD,) I really have zero time for all that! I force myself to keep to the one fandom, and try to be as faithful and active as I can, but if I'm a little slow to read, review, or follow, please know that it's because between school, work, studying for a performance artist level piano certificate plus teaching as well, being super active at church, and a zillion small things, I have all I can do to just write this and read as much of you guys' beautiful work as I can, not because I don't like the stories! Because I do, really!  
BookWormElf2021: Hi, thanks for reviewing! Happy to know you think it's good!**

 **And now, just to warn y'all, this _may_ end in a slight cliffhanger, because I was advised to try that and it just happened to work here, and you may all panic now. :)**

* * *

Chapter 14

Sophie knew it would be an interesting day even before the delicate pink scroll tumbled out of her locker, a small black swan stamped on the front. When she opened it, the note read:

 _"_ _You'd better tell Fitz the truth about me before you get here this afternoon. ~ Granite"_

Great. Because this day was already looking so fantastic. On the other hand, though, Sophie was almost glad she didn't have to keep that secret, at least, from her friend.

She met her friends on the way to P.E. Fitz wasn't there, having to go with his own level, but Tam and Linh were. Since they had missed so many years of Foxfire, they had been put into level three, despite being old enough for level four or even five. Biana was even more pale and haggard, her clothes wrinkled and hanging off of her suddenly thin shoulders, her eyes nearly lost in deep dark circles. Sophie felt a twinge of worry, but before she could say anything, Dex came up to the group.

"Ugh, that was brutal," he moaned. "The triplets need to realize that P.E. is the time to get all that energy out, not the whole morning before! Is anyone else thinking this will be easier now that we spent time perfecting mind over matter skills in Exillium?"

It wasn't easier. Between trying to keep Biana upright and worrying about how to tell Fitz about Granite, Sophie was so distracted she barely made it through the morning. Twice, the mentors had glared at her, then sighed without saying a word, an extremely encouraging reaction.

"That was pathetically easy," Tam remarked on the way to lunch. "That's supposed to be challenging physical activity?"

"It wasn't?" Sophie groaned, knowing she'd be sore later.

"Clearly we have an advantage in this area, after our years at Exillium," Linh noted.

"Hey, guys, that was easier after Exillium, huh," called Fitz, joining them,.

"Oh, for the love of mike," grumbled Sophie, but she couldn't dwell on it. Now was the moment she needed to tell him. Steeling herself, she transmitted _Can I come in? There's something I have to tell you right away._

 _Of course._ Fitz slid into her mind as she let herself into his. _What's going on?_

 _I got a message from the Black Swan in my locker this morning,_ Sophie began. _They want me to tell you something I found out a few days ago. It's about Granite._

 _The one who mentored us at Alluveterre,_ remembered Fitz.

 _Yes,_ Sophie agreed. _Thing is, he revealed his identity to me after… um, some things happened. He's actually Tiergen._

Fitz's mind turned a wild blue that brought back memories. The first time she'd seen his mind this color, it was the first time she'd been in his emotional center. In fact, this was the first emotion she'd experienced here- surprise, mixed with a bit of shock.

"Um, what's wrong with Wonderboy? What did you say to him?" Dex's voice cut into Sophie's consciousness, making her realize her friends were staring at Fitz, who had stopped walking and was standing with his mouth open, unblinking.

"Uh, Fitz? Come on, we've got to have some lunch. We'll worry about that later." She grabbed his arm when he didn't respond, pulling him down the hall.

All through lunch, Fitz sat in shock, eating robotically, although there was nothing actually wrong. Sophie, searching his mind, made sure of that before relaxing with her food. At least he matched his sister, who was also eating like an automaton and staring to space. Dex, Tam, Linh, and the triplets tried to make conversation, but Sophie was too worried to say much. Finally, the bell rang and they went their separate ways. In the hall, Fitz seemed to wake up a little.

"I'm so sorry, Sophie, that was just a lot to think about," he apologized.

Sophie nodded. "I understand, believe me. Just as long as you're ok."

Inside the designated room, all looked the same as it had before they left. Tiergan wasn't there, so they made themselves comfortable in their usual chairs and entered each other's minds as they waited.

 _So, you've been spending a lot of time with Dex the last couple of days,_ began Fitz after a moment of awkward silence.

 _Yeah._ Sophie wondered if she was imagining the purple snowflake in Fitz's mind that signified jealousy. _We've finally come to terms with the fact that we're family. It feels so good to belong to a family again. And being with the triplets is like having human siblings again. It's so nice, feels so right to have that in my life again._

 _Wow, I can't believe Dex agreed to that._

 _What's that supposed to mean?_ Sophie frowned at him.

 _Oh, please. Don't tell me you never noticed?_ He scanned her emotions. _Wow, I guess you really didn't._

 _Excuse me?_ Sophie was starting to boil by now.

Just then, Tiergan came in, saving Fitz from having to answer. Sophie shot Fitz a last irritated look before turning to her mentor.

"Well, I see you started without me," Tiergan said with a smile. "I assume Fitz is aware of my identity?"

There was no need to answer. The way Fitz was unabashedly staring told the tale. Tiergan chuckled.

"Now that we have all that out of the way, we should continue our cognate training. You two still have a long way to go."

 _And we're definitely getting so far,_ Sophie thought sullenly.

 _I heard that,_ Fitz shot back, reminding her he was still in her mind.

 _Hmph_

"Is there a problem?" Tiergan asked mildly, regarding them with slight concern in his face.

"No," his students said in unison, then scowled at each other. The mentor sighed.

"Whatever is going on, put it aside, _now_ ," he said. "You cannot allow any petty disagreement to come between you. Ever. That's a bad habit that will lead to problems in the future - problems like shattered trust. That may seem like a big stretch, but believe me, it's not. If you let something like this slide once - just a little thing, you say - soon you'll be letting other things slide, bigger and bigger things, until something drastic happens, your relationship is broken, and you have no idea what happened and no way to fix it."

Sophie knew he was right. Even though she didn't like Fitz's tone, she couldn't let it come between them. Fitz, silent beside her, was thinking hard about his father and Quinlan. Sophie watched his thoughts with a heavy heart, and resolved to never let that happen. Fitz, seeing the resolve, smiled hesitantly at her.

 _Sorry._

 _It's ok._

"In order to help you overcome this," Tiergan went on, making Sophie realize he'd paused just long enough to let them 'speak,' "I would like you to enter the emotional centers, and talk about what happened with Keefe. I want you both to come to terms with it, and help each other through. I know it's easier to push your feelings down, but that will only make you more fragile over time. By talking through the hardest times and the deepest feelings, you will not only heal, but increase your trust infinitely."

Sophie and Fitz looked at each other, frozen for a moment. Then, Sophie said tentatively _So, how are you doing?_

 _Honestly? I'm not really sure._ He ran a hand through his hair. _I broke some stuff the first day, and,_ he paused, embarrassment flooding his mind, _I've cried into Mr. Snuggles a little every night since, but I think I'm handling it better than… Anyway, how about you?_

Better than when Alden broke. Sophie tried to shut out the memories of that terrible time, but a few leaked through anyway. She shuddered. _I'm so worried about everyone, about Silveny, about you, our parents, Biana - what's going on with her?_

 _I don't really know._

 _Anyway, I guess it hasn't really sunk in. I keep hoping it will all turn out to be a brilliantly horrible plan of his to save us all, or a prank to top all pranks, but… that isn't going to be the case, is it?_

 _I'm afraid not._ Fitz blinked his gorgeous teal eyes, and Sophie found herself staring into them even more deeply. She was shaking, she realized, her own eyes were welling up. _Stop it,_ she tried to tell herself.

 _No, it's ok to let the feelings out sometimes,_ Fitz insisted. Oh yeah, she recalled fuzzily, they were still connected. _Remember what Tiergan just said?_ Hesitantly, he pulled her into a warm, comforting hug. Sophie hoped she was masking the exclamation points half of her brain had exploded into, but her other half sank into the embrace, drawing from it the strength to fight another day.

When they had met the others for study hall, they staked out a table.

"How were ability sessions?" Sophie asked the Song twins.

Linh's face lit up. "My mentor said I have more talent and control than any student he's ever taught, even in the elite levels! He said the way I work with the water is 'unique, concise, effective, and utterly beyond his comprehension considering I was self-taught, a truly exemplary prodigy with more potential than he's ever seen!' I can't believe how much fun it was, too! He's going to be showing me things most kids don't have time to master because, since it takes so much work to control the water, learning that usually involves years of study!" Seeing her so excited was strangely gratifying, especially since she was usually so calm and quiet.

Everyone turned to Tam, but he only huffed. "If we are so talented, why do we have to be taught by people who do not even have the skill we do?"

"There is always more to learn," Linh chided.

"That's enough chatter now," called the mentor in charge of study hall today. "Let's have some quiet."

The room noise died down to the rustle of papers, and Sophie realized something.

 _Where's Biana?_ She transmitted to Fitz, concerned.

He looked around, then shrugged, his eyes showing uneasiness.

Study hall was over before they got an answer. A tall mentor wove through the tables as the bell rang, blinking in and out with each step.

"Fitz?" he asked as he drew close. "I have a message, about your sister." Fitz and Sophie traded panicked looks. "During our afternoon session, she collapsed suddenly. She didn't look terribly well. She's in the healing center now. Her condition is stable, so I didn't want to bother you before the day was over, but I'm afraid there is something very wrong with Biana."


	16. Chapter 15

**I'm back again! Here's the next chapter! I'm sorry if I didn't get all your reviews. Right after the reviews showed up suddenly on the review page at last, I stopped getting notifications for reviews, so I have no clue if this is all of you, but I'll try my best.**

 **Guest: good questions! The answers... will be revealed, but not in _this_ chapter! (Sorry not sorry)  
KOTLC 1 Fan: Wowza! I can't believe- I never thought I'd ever see my name in a list like that with- eeeeeeekkkk! (internal thoughts when I read that) THANK YOU SO MUCH! I love exclamation points, too. And I DO ship Sophitz, it's so obviously the right fit for Sophie! Reading through Shannon's instagram, though, I only hope she doesn't let them influence her. Team ****Foster-Keefe has zero chill, lol. And ThANK YOU for being such a faithful, encouraging reviewer! :) (Tried to do a heart sign, but they wouldn't let me- micromanagers!)  
PokeMANS: I hope so, too...  
BlackSwanGirl: I don't think the whole thing is resolved yet, but I'm kinda waiting to see if it works out. What do you think of the story?**

 **Not to sound pitiful, guys, but I really do want to know what you think of the story. I know I'm shamefully behind on reviews myself, but I'm trying really hard to catch up. Whether it's just one sentence, or a veritable epistle, I reread and reread every review I get.**

 **Now: the chapter in which a certain angsty teen makes a questionable decision...**

* * *

Chapter 15

"How can something so evil exist in a place this nice?"

Keefe and Kelse were walking down a picturesque street in a human city. They wore the same outfits as they had the day before, minus the outerwear. In stark contrast to the frigid snows of Siberia, this place was warm and sunny. They hadn't spoken about what had happened the night before. Keefe had wondered if he should try to explain, but Kelse had warned him with her first glance to leave the subject alone.

"I dunno," she said now, a little distracted.

"I mean, I kind of expected the place to be brown and crusty," Keefe said sheepishly.

"Well, the Neverseen claims it's so evil, and there are a lot of humans that think the same thing."

"But you don't?"

"I don't know what to think. But think about it. The humans have been using whatever energy sources they can for centuries, including many that people now claim are devastating to the environment, and nothing's really happened. They have made a whole world for themselves, a world as rich and cultured as any of the other intelligent species despite it's problem-riddled history, and they don't have special abilities, extraordinary knowledge or mental capacity, or any alliances after the split. There are human scientists who say they have proof of the environmental damage, but the tests are fakes, and the elves really have no right to complain. They're not helping them find a better solution." Kelse scuffed her boots along the sidewalk pensively.

"I thought humans gave up their right to help when they repeatedly betrayed us and misused the help they received?" Keefe grabbed an extra long strand of grass growing in a crack in the sidewalk.

"Yeah, but then you'd have to accept them making their own solutions to problems. I think humans deserve way more respect than they get. After all, despite being the second most warlike of the intelligent species, and the frailest and shortest lived, they have survived for millennia."

"And that's your completely objective opinion?" Keefe teased, tickling Kelse's nose with the tip of his grass.

"Of course! Absolutely no bias involved there." Kelse laughed, then sneezed, swatting the grass away.

They walked around the perimeter of the chainlink fence. At last, Kelse decided she'd had enough. They stopped at a cafe just outside.

"We'll wait for a worker, and try to interview him," she decided. The waitress brought them sandwiches and soda. Soon, Kelse and Keefe were arguing about Coke and Pepsi. Kelse claimed Pepsi was better, and Keefe, wanting to be contrary, ordered Coke. They got so excited, they almost missed the man wearing a radiation badge when he came in and sat a a table. When he'd ordered and sat waiting for his food, Kelse approached, Keefe heeling beside her.

"Excuse me, sir, but do work at the plant down the street?" she asked in perfect english. Keefe picked up words here and there.

He looked up, then smiled tiredly at the two nervous teens. "Yes, I do. Can I help you?"

"We're doing a school project about nuclear waste, and we wondered if you would let us interview you?"

The man raised a single eyebrow. "A school project? Alone in the middle of the day?" he said skeptically.

"We're homeschooled," Kelse explained quickly.

"Oh, I see." His smile returned. He gestured for them to sit, and answered all their questions. Kelse whipped out a pad of paper and took notes frantically while Keefe borrowed a few sheets and drew sketches of the facility under the man's direction, with some translation help from Kelse.

"You're quite an artist," he remarked. "That's practically as good as a photo."

Keefe blushed under the praise. No one had really appreciated his drawing skills in the elvin world. No one except Sophie, anyway. He pushed the thought away, concentrating on the careful lines beneath his pencil.

When the man's lunch time was over, they had more than enough info for the Neverseen. Kelse had also spent a decent amount of time debating about music styles and telling him about Danny in that proud parent way. They thanked him profusely, and he wished them good luck on their project before ambling out.

"I feel terrible that we just got a human to give us the information we need to kill him," Kelse mumbled. Keefe had nothing to say to that.

They paid for the food and leapt back to the Neverseen base. Kelse's father waited for them.

"Well done," he praised, and from the look on Kelse's face, he didn't do that often. "This is exactly what we needed. You children have proven yourselves."

* * *

"So, your dad's the Neverseen's doctor?"

They were hanging out at the dugout waiting for the initiation that evening. Keefe was splayed on the couch, Kelse had grabbed one of his blankets and made a nest on the floor.

"Yeah, since he's a flasher, he does what he can, but he's no doctor at heart. He learned to use his lights as weapons. It's pretty scary to watch, actually."

"At least my dad didn't physically hurt people," Keefe sighed, feeling depressed.

Kelse smiled sadly. "Sometimes it's good when they're violent. It's like a warning to anyone who sees it that this person isn't _uplifting_ company. People who hurt in less obvious ways tend to slip in the cracks in your defenses, and that's way worse that a slap.

"Your dad hits you, doesn't he?"

She didn't answer, twisting her fingers. Finally, she spread her hands on her lap. "Sometimes, Keefe, no matter how much a person hurts you, they're still family. And nothing will ever make you hate them, even when you want to with all your heart."

Keefe's heart clenched. _Even when you want to with all your heart…_

* * *

Fintan, Brant, Alvar, Kelse's father, the telepath, and two other cloaked and hooded figures Keefe didn't recognize were standing around a fire in a dark cave. Keefe and Kelse walked forward, nervous. They clasped each other's hands, forgetting the events of the night before in the need for someone to hold on to.

"Keefe Sencen," Fintan boomed, his voice reverberating grandly in the cave. "Are you ready to pledge yourself to the Neverseen, your heritage?

Keefe swallowed hard, but nodded. He tucked away the 'heritage' remark for later ponderance. Beside him, Kelse squeezed his hand in support, and he jutted out his chin. It was already way too late for second guesses.

"I'm ready."

"Kneel before the elders of the cause," Fintan commanded.

Keefe stepped forward, giving Kelse's hand one last pulse, and knelt. Brant and Alvar stepped forward to stand before him. In one fluid motion, they flung back his hood. Brant's hand lingered a moment longer than necessary, and Keefe felt it heat up near his cheek. He refused to flinch, and Brant straightened.

Footsteps made him glance up through the corner of his eyes. Kelse was going over to stand with her father, who put his hands possessively on her shoulders. Keefe could just feel the slightest spike of unreadable emotion as the man touched her.

"Those such as yourself, born into our cause, must take the heritage oath. Alvar has agreed to take your mother's place, since she is unable to be here. You will say the oath with firmness and resolve. If you waver, my proxy will purge the doubt from your heart with flame."

Keefe didn't like the sound of that. He steeled himself, then said, "I am ready."

"Rise, Keefe Sencen." Alvar knelt in front of Keefe, and motioned for the boy to place his hand on his head. In this way, staring into the glowing flame, Keefe repeated the oath.

 _I pledge my life to the Neverseen, in whom lies the cause of my heritage, the saving of our world. No matter who must die, my friends, my parents, myself, I will never allow personal feeing to come between me and this oath. I will serve the Neverseen in the position of my inheritance as long as I am needed, and will give everything I have to their furtherance. On the head of this my family and the purity of these flames do I swear._

It was pretty serious, and maybe a little fanatical, but Keefe realized it's bones were not that different from the Black Swan's oath. He wondered what that meant.

Alvar rose, and he and Brant pulled the hood back over Keefe's face. As Brant's smoking hand brushed Keefe's cheek again, Keefe felt his disappointment. There had been no reason to burn him. Fintan handed a package through the fire to Brant, who gave it to Alvar.

"Your uniform will signify your position. As long as you wear it, our allies will know you. For you, there is also this." He pulled a compass from the package. It had a jeweled star on the front, and the inside was decorated with a sky scene. "A lodestar to guide you. Do not stray from the path we have set for you, an you will live and find true purpose."

Could it really be as simple as that? Do what he was told and the emptiness would leave? It seemed too good to be true. He glanced up at Kelse, still stiff under her father's touch, and had a terrible feeling that it _was_ too good to be true.


	17. Chapter 16

**I'm sorry! I had plans to update sooner, but then I cut** **open my finger while ice skating, and now have this massive bandage on my hand and HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TYPE?! _But_ , I did change the last post to an actual chapter a while ago. Haven't read it yet? Skoot skoot, I'll wait.**

 **...**

 **(Does anyone else think 'sk** **oot' looks better than 'scoot,' which is the actual spelling? Idk why I think that, but it may have something to with Tintin, I guess,)**

 **Back? Great! Now that you've all been disappointed by Keefe, let's move on to Sophie's problems, but not before we get to the reviews!**

 **PokeMANS: yeah, every now and then, my computer logs me out, and I'm just like why? Not sure what you mean by rhino, but if you mean bull-headed, well yes. *sighs*  
KOTLC 1 Fan: *is blown away by your enthusiasm* Thank you for all your encouragement and kind words! I'm glad I'm improving. (even though I know chap. 13 was about the worst yet... *shouts to everyone* SORRY GUYS!) I love getting reviews from you. You make me smile and sometimes even laugh. Congrats! I can't wait for you to get your profile! And yay, it's always awesome to find another christian. Here's the answer to your wonderings.**

 **One more thing, cuz this has come up several times now- Call me Strawberry! It's totes ok! I just love Dex to much not to have made that my username, but you ABSOLUTELY don't have to type that all the** **time.**

 **Ugh, now my hand hurts from all this typing. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 16

Biana lay pale and listless on her bed all that evening. Sophie stayed at Everglen only a few minutes, but she made sure to scan the girl's mind for cracks. It wasn't breaking exactly, just… empty, almost like she was lost, but not quite. When Sophie stopped by in the morning, she hadn't changed. Her eyes, the few times they saw them, were distant and glassy, and nearly lost in pools of dark purple that almost looked like bruises. Her skin was yellowish and looked like waxwork. Sophie and Fitz finally left for Foxfire without her.

Master Cadence was just about the last person she wanted to see, but there was no avoiding it. Sophie knocked on the door to the silver tower, half hoping no-one would answer. When the grumpy black-haired mentor did open the door, she didn't have much to say, at least. Sophie trudged up to the top floor, expecting the worst.

"Well, Miss Foster, you managed to be on time today," Councillor Bronte quipped when she walked into the cold, dreary room.

"Councillor Bronte," she said without thinking, "Could we possibly pretend to be civil to each other?" Immediately, she realized what she'd said and gasped.

The pointy-eared man smirked, an expression that was totally unnerving and unnatural on him. "You haven't lost your spirit, I'll give you that. May I remind you that I am now one of your only supporters on the council, however?

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she began.

"Oh please, don't give me that. You know exactly what possessed you. As an inflictor, you must be able to isolate and identify emotions perfectly. There is no room for error if you intend on being any kind of master of your ability. So please, tell me exactly what you were feeling." He gestured to the side, making Sophie notice for the first time a small chair to the side of the room. It looked hard, but perhaps he was trying to change a little, at least.

"Well," she said as she sat stiffly, "uh…"

"Don't stutter! Think first, then when you have collected yourself, speak," Bronte commanded.

Sophie boiled. "I'm worried about my friends, worried about Silveny, hurt and angry and sad because of what Keefe did to me. I'm stressed because of the expectations literally everyone in the elvin world seems to have piled on me, scared that I can't fill them, and I'm angry to the council for letting all this happen! I angry at you, too, for being so cold and harsh."

Tears were burning in her eyes by now, and she was too distraught to care what he thought, or that he had the power to exile her - again - for saying all that.

"See, that only took a moment to figure out, didn't it. Now, isolate one of those feelings."

Sophie concentrated on anger, letting it eclipse all the other feelings, numbing her to them.

"Direct the feeling at me," Bronte coached. "Only that feeling. I don't want to feel any stress, any hurt or worry."

"I-inflict on you?"

"I believe that's what I said. Don't deny that you want to."

She did want to, and the opening was almost too good to be true. Concentrating hard, she pushed out the fury, letting all the times he and the council as a whole had vexed her bubble up anew.

"That's enough." Sophie wasn't sure how much time had passed- only a minute, she figured. Bronte's voice was firm but strained as he recalled her. "That was fair enough for the first try, I suppose, but not great. Try harder. Only anger!"

Sophie was getting frustrated now, but she changed that to more rage and shoved it toward the annoying enigma of a mentor. It was just a quick, powerful burst, but Bronte gasped, then nodded.

"Very good, Miss Foster," he said.

Those were two words Sophie had never imagined hearing him say.

"Can I ask you a question?" she inquired when they had caught their breaths.

"If it is relevant."

Sophie described what had happened when she inflicted on her friends while telling them about Keefe, first what had happened with Dex, then the others.

"Hmm." Bronte scrunched up his eyes in thought. "The first is something I suspect only an elf with both Telepathic and Inflicting abilities could do. As for the second, that is an advanced skill. The fact that you this early and without training are able to utilize it… Well, perhaps there is hope for you yet." It sounded like he was about to say something else, then changed his mind. "Next week, I will begin training you to inflict on individuals, without affecting anyone else in the room. In time, you may even learn to inflict two different emotions at a time, separately. Now, try that last exercise one last time, but pick a different feeling."

* * *

Sophie was so stressed by lunchtime that the last thing she needed was something else to deal with. But all through the meal, she felt Marella and Stina glaring at her - for the third day in a row - and she finally decided she'd had enough. She marched up to their table.

"Can I talk to you?"

They glared, and Stina started to say "The nerve…" but Sophie shook her head.

"Privately. Come on, just this once."

They followed her out into the hall, grumbling. Sophie faced them, and took a deep breath.

"Look, guys, I know we've had our disagreements-"

"Disagreements?" Marella shouted, slightly hysterical. "You ignored me, shut me out, pushed me away, patronized me! You claimed you were my friend, but you only used me as long as you needed me, then dumped me, taking all my other friends with you! And now you just want to make up?"

Sophie flattened her hands on her skirt, resisting the urge to pull out an itchy eyelash. "I'm not trying to be best friends again, and I'm not trying to pretend nothing happened. But I didn't use you, or dump you on purpose. I was just so afraid of hurting everyone, that it seemed merciful that I didn't have to drag you, too, into the mess. I just wanted to keep you safe, but I went about it in the wrong way, and I'm sorry. I hope Stina is the friend I could never be, the friend you need."

She turned to Stina. "I know we started off wrong, and maybe I _was_ unfair. You have to admit you weren't totally fair to me, either, but the point is I'm willing - I'm ready, so ready - to put that all behind us. After all, we're on the same side. I'm not asking to be friends with you, either. But maybe, for you both, maybe we can stop being enemies? Perhaps we can start over, just three kids who go to the same school." She looked each of the girls hard in the eyes, and saw the slight release of consent in them. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey there, I'm Sophie Foster," she said, holding out her hand. Marella shook it tentatively, and when Sophie smiled at her, she managed a slight smile in return.

"This isn't a get out of detention free square," Stina said, her voice less cutting that usual. "Just a truce." She flounced back into the hall, sweeping Marella along with her.

Sophie didn't care, though. Maybe they weren't destined to be great friends. But she was glad the hostilities were over.

* * *

Sophie and Fitz rushed back to Everglen as soon as study hall ended. Biana's condition hadn't changed on the outside, but when Sophie probed inside, she found empty, murky, darkness.

 _What is this? What does this mean?_ Fitz's voice cut in, on the edge of hysteria. He'd entered Sophie's mind, and was observing the scene.

 _I'm not sure,_ Sophie said, trying to calm his panic, _but I have an idea on how to fix it._

She pulled out of Biana's mind and grabbed her importer from her satchel. Leaving Fitz beside his sister, she went into the hall, shutting the door behind her.

"Show me Tam Song," she instructed the device.

Several moments went by before Tam's face appeared.

"Sophie," he said, nodding almost cordially. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Tam, Biana's worse. Something strange is going on, but I have a feeling that you can fix it, like you did Prentice. We need your help. _Biana_ needs your help."

Tam frowned in thought, but finally nodded.

He and Linh appeared at Evergreen a few minutes later. Sophie met them at the door and explained the situation as she walked them to the house. Once they were in Biana's room, Tam closed his eyes and spread his hands, directing shadows over Biana's head. His brows twitched.

"There is much darkenss," he mused after a minute. "She is calling it, using it to surround her consciousness, like a cushion. I can remove it, but she is weak. The darkness is all that is holding her together."

"I'll take care of that part," Sophie assured him. She entered Biana's mind and watched as the shadows swirled and began to respond to Tam's drawing, following the coldness he generated until there were none left. In the middle of the now empty space, Biana's consciousness huddled, very frail. Sophie called to it, coaxing and cuddling it, sending peace and warmth and love through it until the girl gasped and opened her eyes.

Fitz let out a strangled cry and fell on his sister with a huge tackle hug. Sophie squeezed her hand. Linh smiled, and even Tam's face lost it's usual fierceness.

"It's ok, Biana," Sophie said gently. "You were lost, but we've got you now. Tam got you back."

"Sophie helped-" began Fitz, but Sophie elbowed him hard.

Biana turned her teal eyes up to the Shade and smiled tentitively.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice thin. She reached her hand up shakily.

Tam's features shifted, as if he wanted to smile, but couldn't quite remember how. Shyly, he took her outstretched hand and shook it. He looked surprised when she held on tight, but he didn't pull away, enveloping her wasted fingers in his own strong ones protectively.


	18. Chapter 17

**Back already with another chapter! I've figured out how to type minus a finger, so I'm actually getting caught up! One question: are you guys actually going to keep reading, with the Lodestar excitement, and then when you have the real book? Because I really want to finish this regardless, but I'd love to know it's still going to be read.**

 **Reviews:  
BlackSwanGirl: I'm sorry about the description! I'll try to do better, and thanks for letting me know. This chapter is a little sparse, too, I'm afraid, but let me know how I'm doing in the future! I really welcome constructive criticism. And don't worry about the ships. Remember, there's still a lot of story and angst to get through.  
KOTLC 1 Fan: Aww, I wish we could be in person friends, too, but I'll look forward to PM's! I know I can count on you to keep reading and reviewing. :) Here's some more story to enjoy!  
Xylia Neo: I'm so happy I gave you feels! I actually didn't really ship Tiana for a long time, but it's starting to grow on me. I don't know if it's going to be official in this story yet, we'll have to wait and see. And the plot thickens, yes...  
PokeMANS: Haha, I think Tiana is what I hear the most. But prepare to be yanked around...**

 **And now, small plot twist! Which may seem irrelevant now, but don't worry, it will become very relevant any time...**

* * *

Chapter 17

"Something's happened."

That was they first thing Kelse said as she stepped through the door. Her face was a stony grey, her eyes - both visible, as her hair was swept back in a terrible excuse for a ponytail - full of terrified worry. Keefe's heart pounded in his chest as he dragged himself off the couch, where he'd been laying. He and Kelse had spent two more days in Siberia since the initiation a week ago. These trips hadn't been authorized, but they had given Keefe more time to hear Kelse play the piano or sing, and more time to play with Danny, who was also sickeningly musical, not to mention sweet and cuddly. He already felt as if he knew the little human closely. Today, however, he'd spent the day training with Ruy, and he was tired and sore.

"What?" was all he could think of to say, which sounded terribly concerned and interested, he knew.

"Danny- his stepmom is sending him away!"

"Away where?" Keefe pulled Kelse across the room and sat her on the couch, standing worriedly before her, stretching his sore muscles.

"She and my uncle are living in America now, like my mother did when she was at college. Apparently, my uncle didn't realize that she hated kids until now, and my grandparents want them to take Danny. She wants to send him to some boarding school. Boarding school! He's five! We have to do something."

"I don't know what that would be," Keefe said warily.

"Bring him here! Take him away from her before she has a chance to get her grubby paws on him!"

"Are you crazy? You're suggesting kidnapping your own cousin!"

"Yeah," a strained smile tweaked Kelse's mouth. "I guess I am"

In the end, it was of no use to argue. Darkest night found Keefe and Kelse running down a black, snowy path in sub-zero weather, sliding and shivering.

Inside Kelse's family's residence, the coals glowed in the hearth, but no other light aided them on the way into the tiny side room that Kelse had once shared with Danny. The little boy looked so sweet and peaceful sleeping as he was. Kelse rummaged around the room, gathering as many possessions as she could into a large backpack; some clothes, a few toys, and what looked like a small musical instrument. She fought with the clasp as Keefe approached Danny. Gently, he scooped the figure up, tucking the vast blanket thoroughly around him and cradling the bundle in his arms.

The operation went off without a hitch. Keefe and Kelse were in and out silently and quickly, back at Keefe's safe house before anyone woke up.

"That Neverseen training came in handy, huh?" Keefe remarked, smirking. He was feeling good after a successful trip.

Kelse traced her fingers along Danny's arm and through the blanket. "My Bubbe knit this afghan," she said wistfully, "for me when I was born. I gave it to Danny when I moved to the Neverseen base with my dad. I missed it so much."

"What are we going to do with him?" Keefe asked. "This isn't an ideal home for a five-year-old, exactly."

"I don't know, just let me think about it, ok?" She looked so distraught, Keefe's heart constricted.

"Yeah, definitely."

They put the little boy in Keefe's bed, which was in a tiny alcove in the back of the dugout, just out of sight, and Kelse finally left, after much convincing.

"Don't worry about him tonight," Keefe said gently. "I can take care of him."

Kelse smiled so gratefully, Keefe's insides did a flip.

* * *

The next morning, Keefe woke up wondering why he was on the couch, and so stiff. It was a good three minutes before he remembered and bolted over to check on Danny. The little boy was curled up in the center of the bed looking like a sleeping imp, so peaceful and sweet that it made Keefe feel downright calm and content. His soft brown hair stuck endearingly up in all directions, and he was completely twisted in the afghan, but looked so cozy Keefe didn't bother to move him. Rubbing his face, Keefe made his way over to the table looking for leftover food.

He hadn't even gotten the sleep fully from his mind when Kelse ran in, panicking.

"My father and the Telepath are coming for a visit. If they suspect anything, they didn't let on, but they'll find out! His mind- he- what are we going to do?"

"How long until they get here?" Keefe asked, reminding himself to stay calm. If they both went into a tizzy, that wouldn't help Danny.

"Less than a minute behind me!"

That wasn't good.

"Is Danny awake?" the girl gasped.

"Not yet, but he should be any time," Keefe warned.

Kelse closed her eyes, mouthing _"Human thoughts, human thoughts."_

Outside, a colorful exclamation told them she had succeeded. Kelse's father and the Telepath appeared in the clearing, the one rubbing his head. Keefe and Kelse charged outside.

"Young lady, shift your thoughts at once!" the Flasher ordered his daughter.

"I can't," whimpered Kelse, and she really looked so terrible and upset that it could have been true.

"You must!" Her father frowned, fists clenching. Kelse's emotions got even more panicked, and she cowered just slightly.

"This is ridiculous," the Telepath fumed. "You're making it worse."

"That's actually true," Keefe said, wrapping an arm around Kelse's shaking form. "What did you do to her, anyway, to bring this on?" It was an ingenious shift of blame, if he did think so himself.

The Flasher paled slightly, but insisted "What I do with my own daughter is no one's affair but my own, and of no relevance to this instance."

"Oh, yeah?" Keefe challenged. He knew it was a bad idea to provoke Kelse's father, but he couldn't let them find Danny, and he was sick of seeing Kelse hurt by her own father. "Well I think it's her affair, too, and I also think it's just plain wrong to abuse someone, no matter who it is, but especially someone you are supposed to be responsible for."

The man seethed, losing his ability to speak in rage.

"Never mind all this," snapped the Telepath, "Can you calm her down?"

"Yes, sir." Keefe couldn't keep the edge from his voice, glancing sidelong at the Flasher. "Just leave her to me, and she'll be ok in a while."

"Very well, we'll return tomorrow. And that's final," he added, when his companion tried to protest.

They leaped away, and Keefe led Kelse inside, sitting her gently down on the couch and rubbing her back. As he watched her hyperventilate, a thought began to form in Keefe's mind.

"I think I have an idea of where to put Danny," he said slowly. "I don't know if it'll work, or how smart it is, but we definitely can't keep him here."

"Anything," wheezed the shaking Borrower.

"Tonight, we'll sneak into the lost cities."

"How?"

"Don't rush me. I'm sure I can come up with something," Keefe tried to sound more confident than he felt.

Kelse took a ragged but normal breath and sat up, mischief glinting in her eye. "If it's sneaking into the lost cities you need help with, I know just the thing…"


	19. Chapter 18

**Hey there! I'm back with another chapter. I'm sorry it's so short! I realized I had a time discrepancy, so this is trying to make up for it. My next chapter was originally part of the previous one, but don't worry, it's still plenty exciting on it's own. This brings Sophie's world's timeline into sync with Keefe's. Not much else to say, so I'll get right to reviews.**

 **BlackSwanGirl: Thanks!  
KOTLC 1 Fan: Thanks *blushes* I will read your profile, of course! My finger is getting better slowly. I got the huge bandage off, but there's till a small one on. The worst is I can't play the piano with that hand until it heals a lot more, and I have that certificate I'm studying for... And don't worry, I don't wake up well, either. I'm more like a people hating monster for a while, though, while I get used to the idea that sleep is behind me for the day. ;)**

* * *

Chapter 18

In Telepathy class the next afternoon, Tiergan brought up Silveny.

"The Council would very much like an update on her situation," he said. "Are you two ready for that?"

When they had settled in each other's minds, Sophie warned Fitz, _Watch out I don't know where she is, so this will be very loud._

 _It's totally okay,_ Fitz answered, and Sophie could feel the million-dollar smile in his mind. _I need to learn how to do that._

 _Silveny?_ She called, stretching her mind as far as it could go.

 _Sophie! Friend! Hi!_ an ecstatic voice called in her head.

Hi? That was a new one

 _Wow you got her,_ Fitz said. _You're so amazing Sophie._

Sophie was glad their eyes were closed so he didn't see the blush creeping up her cheeks. To distract him she pointed out _it seems you taught her new word._

 _No way! She didn't know how to say hi before? That is so cool- I taught a horse a new word!_

Fitz bounced in his chair and geeked out while Sophie continued to be bombarded by Silveny's excited transmissions.

 _Friend! Happy! Keefe! Baby! Fly! Free!_ Silveny repeated over and over, showing Sophie pictures of her and Greyfell flying over beautiful landscapes, bedding down in a cave, and sending contentedly pregnant feelings, which was more info than Sophie really needed.

 _Safe?_ Silveny asked worriedly?

 _I'm ok._ Sophie didn't want to give the alicorn any more to worry about. _Are you safe?_

 _Safe!_ agreed Silveny.

Fitz had composed himself by now, and transmitted with a decent amount of power _Hi Silveny._

 _Fitz! Hi!_ The sparkly horse repeated about a hundred times, sending Sophie waves of giddiness.

 _Whoa, she really likes you,_ Sophie observed. _Don't make Greyfell jealous, now,_ she told Silveny.

 _Jealous._ The horse mulled over the word, then transmitted the word in her own language. _What was that?_ asked Fitz in surprise.

 _Wait, you heard that? Silveny just spoke in her own language. If you heard that, that's amazing! Definitely a breakthrough._

Fitz was on the verge of going ballistic again, so before he could Sophie said to Silveny _We have to go, but stay safe. I miss you so much._

 _Miss! Friend!_ Silveny agreed, sending a wave of loneliness.

 _What happened? Your emotions went all funny,_ Fitz asked.

 _Silveny just shared her loneliness for me,_ Sophie moaned, resisting the urge to shed a small tear.

 _Oh._ The boy's disappointment was hard to take. He'd obviously been hoping he would begin to feel Silveny's emotional transmissions, too.

 _It'll come in time,_ Sophie said reassuringly, hoping she wasn't giving him false hope.

They said goodbye to the Alicorn, then told Tiergan the whole story.

"Perhaps if you observe Sophie's mind in action while inflicting, that will help you," the mentor said. "We will definitely work on that. Meanwhile, you have already made a huge breakthrough. You should be very pleased with the progress you've made today."

"I am," Fitz assured him. He beamed at Sophie, and her heart did a little somersault.

* * *

And so the time passed. Life settled into a routine for Sophie and her friends. Tam and Linh began spending time at Everglen on a regular basis, and Biana slowly improved. On Monday, she returned to school. Tam had convinced her that it was time, and he picked her up on the way. Sophie spent many afternoons with the Dizznees, and she and Fitz made much progress in their cognate training. She met Wylie often in the Silver tower, now, and he would speak affably to her. One afternoon, she ate lunch with him, and slowly they became friends. As another week drew to a close, Sophie wondered how life could be so normal and peaceful when one if them was missing, and so many other things were in limbo, waiting for her to resolve them.


	20. Chapter 19

**Excitement! Acting! Flowery words! And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for... *Almost.* Were you getting bored with the lack of movement in this story? Never fear, Smith is here! (Ok, sorry, that was another Lost in Space reference. I'm just weird that way) But seriously, this is the time for action! I know there's too much excitement in the fandom right now with Lodestar teasers and all, but if you have a sec, please enjoy and pass on some comments!**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan: I see what you did there! It made me grin like an idiot! :) :) Congrats on the profile! And I did read the ****first chapter- _once_. I wanted to read it about 30 times, but I restrained myself, cuz I said I was going to finish this thing and I WILL so I will enjoy that again when I get my own copy.**

 **And if PokeMANS is reading this, you may now call on your bragging rights, the first plot twist has arrived. I'm sorry if it's a little lame, but I had to save the really awesome one for the right time, soooo... ...**

* * *

Chapter 19

Keefe's heart pounded as they glittered onto the streets of Mysterium. He clutched his sleepy charge against his chest, his eyes darting nervously around the street. It was super quiet. But then, it was pretty late. Glowing streetlights provided nearly as much shadow as brightness. Kelse tossed her head in perfect teenish fashion as she threw glances in all directions before turning up the street.

"Just remember the plan," she said. "Follow my lead and don't be afraid to elbow me if you think it's really necessary."

"What if we meet a Telepath? Shoot, what if a Telepath comes within a block of us?"

"I know this section of town. I came here before with my father, when I was too young to understand about shifting my thoughts. He considered it safe enough. Plus, it's nighttime. And the owner of the shop we're heading for is definitely not a Telepath. He was very kind to me." She sighed off the reverie, adjusting the backpack straps under her cape. "Now, put on your pseudonymous persona."

Show off.

She slipped easily into her role. Keefe struggled to do the same, and soon they were rushing through the streets, frantic. Which didn't require that much playacting, actually. He huffed as his arms protested the five year old weight slowing him. Keefe understood that Danny had to sleep through this, that his thoughts were dimmer in sleep and his ignorance of elvin ways avoided, but it didn't make his job any easier. His hat pinched his forehead. Stupid hat. Too bad the Hair would have been too easily recognizable.

A bell-like sound tinkled as they bolted through a nondescript shop door at last. The elf behind the counter glanced up distractedly.

"I'm sorry, I was just about to close," he began, but trailed off as Kelse began to speak.

"Please, sir, could we use your leapmaster, please? We're in such a terrible fix. I've lost my home crystal, and we can't get ahold of our parents, and it's getting late, and my brothers are supposed to be home, and I'm going to be in so much trouble, and…" The tears tumbled from Kelse's face as she gasped out the words too fast to be totally coherent.

"There, there, my dear. Of course you can. Calm yourself down. There, have a seat and don't you worry any more. I'll be sure you're safely home in no time." The kindly shopkeeper pulled Kelse to a chair and rested a hand on her shoulder. He studied her face for a moment, then looked up at Keefe and Danny.

"You poor children, you look terrified." He looked back and forth again.

"Have I seen you somewhere before?"

Keefe stiffened. Would they be caught now?

"I'm sure you have. My brothers and I love this shop. It's my favorite in all Mysterium, although we haven't been able to come by for many years now. How I missed it, and it hasn't changed!" Kelse's voice wobbled back to near cheerfulness as she spoke. "Why, I remember the first time my father brought me here, when I was very small-"

Keefe nudged her with Danny's foot, and the little boy moaned softly in his sleep.

"The security of constants in a changing world is pleasant indeed," the shopkeeper remarked, smiling. "Would you like a hot cup of something before you go?"

Kelse looked tempted, making Keefe's heart pound in panic, but glancing at Danny, she shook her head.

"We'd better go right home. Thank you anyway, and thanks for helping us out. I don't know what we would have done without you!

The shopkeeper smiled. "No trouble. I'm glad you are safe and that I could help. Just come this way."

He led them through the back of the shop and up a flight of stairs. A large leapmaster, perhaps the 1,000, sparkled in the dim light.

"I was granted the authorization to upgrade some time ago, so you should be able to get home just fine," he assured them. When he saw their hesitation, he bid them goodbye and headed out of the room.

"Havenfield," Kelse whispered as loud as she dared. The leapmaster whirred and a crystal descended.

"Thank you," Keefe called out over his shoulder, just in case. Then, they stepped into the light.

* * *

They materialized on the soft grass of Havenfield, the starlight winking brightly at them. Keefe's heart squeezed at the familiarity of the place.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Keefe asked, looking at Kelse in the half-light. "I don't think pounding on the door is a great idea."

"We'll have to levitate to the window," Kelse said, and Keefe could feel the sigh in her emotions. "Unless you'd rather wake the whole estate…"

"No, I'm fine with levitating," Keefe assured her quickly, "but are you sure you are?"

"Of course." Kelse tried to sound miffed, but her nerves were pulsing through Keefe very strongly. He knew that, with the exception of telekinesis, Kelse had found elvin abilities were a bit difficult for her half-human mind to master.

They circled the house quietly, trying to stay downwind as long as possible, cutting in when Keefe pointed out the broad third story wall of windows they would be approaching. As they positioned themselves stiffly beneath, Keefe mentally judged the weight of the still sleeping child in his arms. Taking a deep breath, he pushed off hard, rocketing up in the air, faster than he'd thought to from overcompensating for Danny's weight. After a failed start, Kelse followed shakily, slowly catching up as they hovered by the window. Keefe desperately wished he could think of something funny to say, to ease the tension between them and the window, but his mouth went dry and his mind blank as Kelse, hesitating a second longer, reached out and knocked.


	21. Chapter 20

**Oy vey, Lodestar comes out the day after tomorrow! *Panicking issues, even though I won't be getting my copy until later* I won't be able to update for a few days, either. We're going to visit my Uncle who lives in New York (and works for the MET opera, so we'll be going there, and I've never been to an opera before!) for a couple of days, so TONS of driving and a definite lack of wi-fi. (Plus it's considered rude in my family to spend time on the internet when visiting or having visitors...) So enjoy this chapter. I should be back in a few days. And I promise I'll be getting back to reviewing other people's stories when I get back.**

 **I got enthusiastic reviews! I'm so happy! Here we are:  
BlackSwanGirl: *Is grinning evilly because I love theories and demands, but the story marches on, and I really just want to tell you what happens, even though it's right below...*  
KOTLC 1 Fan: YOU'RE GETTING IT?! YAYAYAYAYAY! ! ! ! ! ! (Ohhhh, I figured out how to sneak multiple !'s in ! ! ! ! ! ! !) Are you getting it from Changing Hands? That's where I'm getting mine, too! :)  
PokeMANS: Poor Keefe, that seems to be his state of being anymore... And no, I have never heard of that. What is it?**

 **Now, I have an important question: does anyone else find themselves singing random** **advertisements for things that you would never buy but _THE TUNES ARE JUST SO DRATTED CATCHY!?_**

* * *

Chapter 20

Sophie woke to the realization that someone was tapping quietly on the window. Her first thought was to scream for Sandor, but as her mind cleared, she pushed aside the fear. If it were kidnappers, they wouldn't be knocking. She jumped from the bed, pulled on a sweater, and opened the curtains.

It was Keefe. And a girl. Sophie stared, her mind blank.

"Sophie please, let us in," Keefe mouthed.

Sophie opened the window. "Keefe, what are you doing here? What's going on, who is that?" she stage whispered.

The girl faltered, and Keefe steadied her awkwardly with his elbow because his hands were full of a bundle that looked suspiciously like a child. As Keefe's grip shifted, dull, sleepy human thoughts drifted into Sophie's mind.

"Is that a…"

"Please, Sophie," Keefe whispered urgently, interrupting. "She's going to fall."

Sophie reluctantly stepped aside, letting them by. She knew what it was like to have trouble with elven skills.

They filed in and sat on the flowery carpet. Wedging a stool against her door for extra protection from untimely goblin interference, Sophie moved onto her bed, studying her visitors. Keefe had a tight black hat pulled over his usually well bodied hair, and dark circles under his eyes. Cradled in his lap lay a tiny boy with soft, light brown hair, sleeping peacefully. Beside him, the strange girl was clinging tightly to Keefe's arm. She had tow hair, which fell over the right side of her face, laying beside her nose and petering away from her mouth, completely obscuring her forehead and her right eye, eyebrow, cheek, ear, and temple. She wore a device on her arm - a smartwatch, Sophie remembered. They had just started becoming more widely popular when she left the forbidden cities a year ago.

 _The forbidden cities._ This girl had access to the human world. Sophie's eyes darted between the teens before her.

"Um, so, this is Kelse," Keefe said, breaking the awkward silence. "Kelse, Sophie. Sophie, Kelse. Sophie, I'm so sorry to just drop in like this. I promise you, if it were for me, I wouldn't ask, wouldn't bother you. But Kelse needed help, and I didn't know who else to ask."

Great. Because that didn't make it more weird. It broke Sophie's heart to think that Keefe wouldn't be willing to come to her with his own problems, but he would come to her for this girl. She wasn't jealous, she told herself, just sad.

"I don't know, Keefe," she managed. "After all, you're kind of a fugitive right now. I don't see what I could do." It was a lame excuse, but she needed time to wrap her mind around what was happening.

"Just listen, please. I'm sure you can fix this. You've always had-" his voice caught- "a knack for fixing things."

Sophie's eyes welled, but she listened patiently while the girl explained the situation. Her voice was soft and shy. Her fingers gripped Keefe's arm so hard the tips showed white, but he didn't seem to notice. Watching their effortless familiarity, and the way Keefe was rocking unconsciously back and forth, soothing the little human in exactly the right way (she could tell from the contented, sleepy thoughts Danny - as the boy was named - was exuding) made her feel strange. Keefe really seemed to have found a place he belonged, where he could even be happy some day, and it wasn't with her or her friends.

"…So I was thinking of Alluveterre," Keefe said when Kelse had finished. I know you can't tell us where it is, but if you could take Danny there, keep him safe while we sort this out, I don't know how we could ever thank you."

Sophie tried to ignore the part of her brain that was shrieking _'HE SAID WE LIKE_ ** _WE_** _'_ and weighed the problem.

"You know how you could repay me, Keefe," she said after a moment.

"Sophie…" His voice held so much sadness.

"I know you think this is the only way, and I do trust you, but there has to be a better answer. You aren't bad."

"Sophie, no. Even if there was another way, it's too late now. You can't fix me. There are some things you just _can't_ fix. But you can fix Danny. Give him the chance you would've given me. Please."

His eyes… Sophie had to look away, burying her face behind her hair. She felt dangerously close to tears, and a sob was building in her chest. She peeked up at Danny. Sleeping as he was, he reminded her of Amy, her human sister. Shakily, she got to her feet and lurched for her imparter.

"I'll be right back," she said. She still trusted Keefe, but he _was_ Neverseen now. She couldn't be careless with secrets. She opened her bedroom door…

…and slammed right into a rock hard wall of grey, gobliny muscle.

"Miss Foster," squeaked Sandor.

"S- Sandor!" Sophie rushed to shut the door behind her.

"May I ask what you are doing in there?"

"Well, funny thing, um- Oh, come on, Sandor," Sophie gasped, "you probably heard the whole thing."

"I did, actually." Sandor didn't look at all sorry for eavesdropping, even if it was in his job description. "You really plan on helping them, even though they are fugitives, without notifying anyone?"

"I am going to tell the Black Swan, and maybe some of the others, but I don't think he wants to see anyone, and I can't just turn him in to the council. He's my friend."

Sandor let out a squeaky sigh, and Sophie knew it sounded a little far fetched calling Keefe her friend after all he'd done, but it was still true, somehow.

"Very well, but I'm coming with you," he said.

"Sandor, what if the Black Swan won't let you?"

"The Black Swan and I have an agreement." The tone in his voice made Sophie as nervous as the words. What was that supposed to mean?

"I just have to go call, uh, Mr. Forkle. I'll be right back!" Sophie slipped around Sandor and trudged down the stairs. She finally decided on Jolie's room, and, after closing the door behind her, whispered to her Imparter;

"Show me Magnate Leto."

There was a tense moment of silence, then the man's voice cut through, a second before his face appeared.

"You kids, thinking you can keep your elders on call for all hours. Don't you think I have better things to do?"

"Hi," said Sophie, grinning.

"You didn't call me to say Hi, did you?" snapped the principle.

"Actually, no." Solemnly, Sophie explained what had happened, and what Keefe was hoping for. Magnate Leto's brow furrowed in a way that was unlike the principle, but a little like Mr. Forkle as he listened.

"And you just want to do it," he finished for her. "Without a second thought. Someone needs help, and everything else gets tossed to the wind. You kids, so predictable."

"I'm not being rash," Sophie protested, "I _have_ given it a second thought. But in the end, they _need_ my help, and this might be a good way to not only earn back Keefe's trust, but get his friend's as well."

Magnate Leto sighed. "You have a point, as much as the responsible adult in me wants to deny it. This is a risky move, but it's the right thing to do. I'll be right over."

" _You,_ or…"

"Mr. Forkle will be right over," he corrected. "Honestly, I've been at this a few years, you know. You kids…" he cut the connection.

Sophie was heading back to her room when Edaline appeared in the hall in front of her.

"Sophie, is something the matter? What's going on in your room?"

Sophie swallowed. She didn't know how much to say. At last, she said "I'm going to Alluveterre. Mr. Forkle is coming to pick me up, and… um, someone else, too."

Edaline looked searchingly into Sophie's face for a moment.

"Keefe's here, isn't he," she said softly.

Sophie didn't bother gaping. Edaline was too good at reading her for anything to surprise her anymore.

"May I see him?" she asked.

"I don't know, he might feel weird. Plus, he's here with a girl and her cousin. It's the cousin that they're looking for asylum for. He's just a little kid."

Edaline sighed, but smiled tightly at Sophie. "I know you too well, Sophie. I also understand your reluctance to let me see them. Promise me you'll be careful." She wrapped Sophie in a hug.

"I will," Sophie said, her voice muffled in Edaline's shoulder.

Edaline pulled away and went back to her room. Sophie brushed by Sandor, who glared at her, and stuck her head into her own room. "Mr. Forkle's coming for us. Sandor will take you outside, quietly, while I get changed, if you don't mind."

"Of course," the strange girl - Kelse - said, getting up right away. Keefe lingered a second longer, looking around the room with so many emotions on his face; sadness, regret, longing. It passed quickly, and he let Kelse tug him up and out the door.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sophie was so startled by the shrill voice it took her a minute to realize that the visitors had been sitting at the edge of Vertina's range. She had subconsciously gone to stand by the mirror as she dressed.

"Frankly, Vertina, I don't know. But I can't just turn my back on them."

"Well, I think you're asking for trouble," the mirror girl advised. "And don't wear that ridiculous grey-brown tunic! It looks absurd on you." With that, she clicked off, leaving Sophie wondering whether to smile and shake her head, or be really worried.


	22. Chapter 21

**Wow, the stories really started coming! I'm really concerned about spoilers, though, so please for the sake of us who won't get the book until the Changing Hands stop, or those who have to wait for Christmas or the Library copy, I would like to suggest putting in your description whether or not there will be Lodestar spoilers.**

 **I'm back, sorry for the wait! After going to NY to the opera, (it was Aida, and SO SO GOOD! ! !) we had a special missions conference at our church, so I had zero time to post. I am now able to type using my finger, if I'm careful, although the piano is still touchy.**

 **Reviews:  
BlackSwanGirl: I am so glad there are other "never Keefer's" out there besides myself! But unfortunately, being realistic, Sophie and Keefe do have some feelings toward each other in the cannon books, even if Sophie doesn't realize, and they have to deal with those before they can ever hope to move on. Hang in there...  
KOTLC 1 Fan: Cool! ! ! ! Here ya go!**

 **One more thing: I apologize for the second half of this chapter. I feel like it isn't my best work, but I just couldn't revise this thing ONE MORE TIME MERCY! ! ! ! !**

* * *

Chapter 21

The awkwardness was thick enough to cut with a knife. Kelse would have laughed at it if she hadn't been caught right in the middle. Sophie had brought them to the quaint, woodsy common room of what she'd called the girls' treehouse. They had been accompanied by Sophie's goblin bodyguard and a fat, wrinkled old man who, Keefe explained in a whisper, was one of the leaders of the Black Swan, which made Kelse nervous.

"Since when does she know how to get ahold of _him_?" Keefe had wondered.

They weren't the only ones there, though. Twin elves who looked a little like Korean humans to Kelse, used as she was to thinking human, were staying in the hideout, and they woke up and came in to see what all the traffic was. The boy - Tam - had a brooding expression on his face, and shadows collected around him; not enough to be really noticeable unless you were watching closely. Kelse wasn't trying to be weird, but she was keeping an eye on _all_ the strangers on the room. She wasn't going to take a chance with Danny.

"So just like that you want a favor, after everything that happened, and have nothing to offer in return? That seems like a poor deal," the old man - Mr. Forkle - said when the whole story had been told once more.

"I think it could be a great step toward inter-special understanding and cooperation," interjected Sophie. "Plus, I thought we helped people."

Mr. Forkle sighed. "That's a gross oversimplification. We're talking about helping kidnap a small child. That's hardly in our job description."

Sophie looked at him with puppy dog eyes. The girl twin - Linh - was regarding Danny with a gentle expression.

"I think he's lovely," she said, and her voice was like soft waves on a lake's shore. "And it seems Kelse here has a better claim as his caregiver than his parents do. Does that not count for something?"

Mr. Forkle looked exasperated. "There is legally virtually nothing stronger than a parent's claim on a child, in both the human and elvin worlds. Whether or not this is how it should be is beside the point," he added, cutting off the next thing that was likely on everyone's mind.

"I'm not asking for something for nothing," Kelse blurted, surprising herself as much as everyone else. "I'm willing to trade information for his safe keeping."

" _What?_ " Keefe hissed into her ear.

"Danny's my family, Keefe," she whispered back. "I'll do anything for him."

"Yeah well don't let that get around," he muttered, and he was right of course. It was a weakness too easy to exploit.

Mr. Forkle looked mildly impressed. "That's a deal I can consider," he agreed.

* * *

Sophie and Linh brought Kelse into a cozy bedroom to set Danny down on the bed and unpack his bag. Keefe had been given his old room in the other treehouse to rest in, and Kelse felt strange without his comforting sturdiness by her side. She hadn't realized how fully the prankster could rise to the occasion and be there when she needed it most.

Linh smiled at Danny when he'd been tucked in. "I think he's wonderful," she said. "I wish I could take care of him for you, but I have no experience with small children. Our training at Exillium didn't really cover that." Her face grew sad.

"Don't worry, Linh," Sophie said gently. "We'll help you get used to it." A look of pain crossed her face. "I need to get used to blocking again, though. I guess I should call my cousin Dex. He's got plenty of experience with kids, and he's super friendly so he'll be a big help."

"Do you mind if I wait? I'm not really comfortable leaving Danny with strangers." Kelse twisted the hem of her skirt. She knew it must sound funny, since she was also asking them to take in a total stranger.

"Of course not, I guess," Sophie said. "I mean, I get it." She gave Kelse a careful but encouraging smile. "Just give me a minute to call Dex and ask Mr. Forkle to go get him."

Linh stayed with Kelse for a minute, but when she saw Tam through the window pacing and grousing and trailing shadows behind him like a velvety black bridal train, she excused herself to go to him.

Sophie returned, and the girls sat down on the soft carpet. Tense silence ensued until Kelse finally took a deep breath.

"I know it's weird having me around, with the whole Keefe thing," she said. Since she'd been holding Keefe's arm for most of the evening, she'd felt Sophie's emotions blow by blow, and knew how conflicted the girl felt.

"What do you mean by that?" Sophie asked, a little defensively.

"I mean, he betrayed you, and now it must feel like he just, well, _moved on._ You can't tell me that doesn't hurt. But I just want you to know his feelings for you haven't changed. He never wanted to hurt you, he's just trying to figure his life out. And in the Neverseen, that can be really complicated."

"It can be really complicated in the Black Swan, too," Sophie muttered, half to herself. But she looked up at Kelse, and an understanding passed between them.

"Why don't I hear your thoughts, if you're half human?" Sophie asked. It didn't feel like a desperate subject change, but rather a natural segue from a resolved point.

Kelse explained about shifting thoughts. Sophie was fascinated.

"You know, maybe if I probed your mind, just for a second, it would make things easier for the Black Swan," she said carefully. "I don't mean to pry, but it _could_ help me understand you better."

Kelse stiffened, but she'd guessed this was coming. Steeling her nerves, she nodded. "I guess it makes sense," she agreed warily.

"Plus, I'm kind of curious what your thoughts sound like inside your head," Sophie admitted with a sheepish smile.

She put her fingers to Kelse's temples. After a second she sucked in a breath. For some reason, a memory of Kelse's father hurting her surfaced. The memory of Keefe's initiation came by, as well as several scenes of training with Alvar and Ruy. Fragments of Keefe and Kelse's times together and Kelse and her human friends hanging out together also played, along with many memories of her raising Danny and life on the farm, and Kelse had to wonder why her brain was going to these places right now, but Sophie seemed satisfied when she pulled away.

"You've had a tough time," Sophie managed in a husky voice. "I think I understand now about you and Keefe and the Neverseen. You aren't doing it because you believe in them."

Kelse traced her fingers through the carpet, not sure how to respond.

"Well," Sophie said after a pained silence, forcing excitement into her voice, "uh, I'd love to catch up on human world events. You've had a little contact with that since I left."

Kelse told what she knew of the human world. Sophie had, in a few respects, more current information, since she'd left after Kelse had, but she was now completely out of touch.

"I guess this is a dinosaur by now," Sophie remarked, pulling her iPod from her pocket after a comfortable lull in the conversation. "It wasn't the newest model even back when we got it."

"Actually, it's only two generations behind," Kelse said. "Not too bad." She held out her own Apple watch, and Sophie admired it. She was especially impressed when Kelse showed her all the elvin upgrades.

"Oh, wow, you've got to show Dex this, he'll love it!" Sophie poked the buttons and accidentally started playing some music.

"I know it's a little forward of me," Kelse started, her stomach twisting with nerves - she didn't want this to be taken the wrong way - "but if anything ever happens to Danny and you need to get ahold of me, you could iMessage me."

Sophie's face became a mask of distrust once more, but there was a gleam of consideration in her eyes. "Wouldn't that be giving the Neverseen a way to track me?"

"I know my word doesn't mean much, but I wouldn't ever let them find out. You could use a pseudonym, and we could communicate in Russian. None of the operatives I've met really knows Russian. Even when my father met my mother, it was in America while she was in college, so they spoke English. It's not much consolation, and I understand if you say no-"

"Ok."

"What? Kelse looked up in disbelief.

"I don't know why, but I get the feeling that you're all right," Sophie said with a smile. "You have ok taste in music, after all."

Kelse laughed. The piece filling the space between them was a favorite nocturne by Chopin, and Sophie was rifling through the rest of her fairly eclectic playlists. For some reason, it wasn't weird at all for the girls hands and arms to be so close. They just connected, and it felt good.

"What will your alias be?" Kelse asked.

Sophie's brows furrowed in thought. "Beth Freeman," she decided at length.

"Hmm, Beth from your middle name," guessed Kelse, "but why the Freeman?"

"Just, reasons." Sophie was being purposely vague, and Kelse respected that. She typed the name and messaging address into her watch, while Sophie downloaded a Cyrillic keyboard to her iPod.

They were giggling and messaging back and forth when a boy who Kelse figured must be Dex came in, looking like he'd just fallen out of bed and thrown on the nearest scrunched-up outft. She looked up, then hid behind her hair and peeked out from behind it shyly, her heart thumping. The strawberry-blond of his hair was a rarity of a color in Russia, and his eyes- they were fascinating. She wanted to study them - and him - but knew that would be weird She'd gotten annoyed or creeped out glares too many times from staring too long at peoples faces.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked, directing his question at Sophie.

"Dex, this is Kelse," Sophie said, getting up. "Kelse, Dex will know just what to do about Danny."

Dex reached out his hand to shake Kelse's, and she stood to take it. _You will go back to normal now,_ she told herself sternly, and her feelings obeyed.

Dex had obviously been told the basic facts, but he listened intently as Kelse told him about Danny.

"He sounds like a pretty laid-back kid," he observed. "Not like the triplets."

"Oh, cool, you have triplets in your family? My mom has- um _had_ a twin - that's Danny's dad - and there are twins in my grandmother's family as well, but no triplets. That's so neat!"

Dex looked like he didn't quite believe her at first, but soon, he was relaxedly telling her about the triplets' antics. Kelse felt warm, genuine liking well inside of her for the easygoing boy, and she got the feeling he would be perfect with Danny. Before she knew it, two hours had passed since she and Keefe had left the dugout in the woods.

"We've got to go," she said regretfully. "It was so nice to meet you all. I feel really good about leaving Danny here."

"It was good to meet you, too," Sophie said, coming over from the corner where she'd been dozing, propped against the wall. Kelse looked up into the warm brown eyes and saw kindness and sincerity.

"Don't worry about Danny," Dex told her. "I'll stay here tonight, so that when he wakes up I'll be there for him."

"Me too," Sophie added. "I don't mind sleeping here, anyway."

"Thank you so much." Kelse didn't know what to do with the warm, comfortable feelings of acceptance and friendship she was experiencing. She'd never met elves like this. "One more thing. I've told Danny stories about the elvin world, as if they were fairy tales. It might help give him perspective if you bring that up."

Keefe met her at the entrance, looking as comfortable as a jellyfish on a cactus. He held his arm out for Kelse to take. She cast one last look back, then twisted a yellow crystal and allowed him to sweep them into it and away.


	23. Chapter 22

**I'm not even going to try to apologize properly for the long delay, so I hope you forgive me anyway. I think my copy of Lodestar is finally on the way! But I have so much work to do before I let myself read it...**

 **I had a hard time ending this thing, so it might seem a little abrupt.**

 **Reviews:  
PokeMANS: This may be a ****spoiler, but I don't really see them as rivals. They'll have a unique relationship, to be sure, but _that's_ definitely a spoiler. And Yes Ma'am, Thank You Ma'am! *quails in fear*  
KOTLC 1 Fan: THAT is also a spoiler. (I know I'm inconsistent about my spoilers... Oh well) Here y'are!**

 **One more thing: I want to thank my faithful readers, because even though I haven't updated in 10 days, I have gotten views on my story EVERY SINGLE DAY! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! ! !**

 **And now, the chapter in which all kinds of things happen, and our Sophie remains totally** **clueless about things like romance and crushes. (It's so annoying but so endearing!) Also, in which I confirm my own head cannon that when Fitz gets excited, he looses his cool kid demeanor and bounces/jumps up and down like a 2 year old.**

* * *

Chapter 22

Sophie slept in her old room that night, and under the reveriebells - which reminded her of Calla in a bittersweet way - she spent a peaceful, dreamless night. When she woke up in the morning, she called Edaline on her imparter to let her know what was going on, then headed into the common room. Linh was there, playing with the fountain. As she swayed, her glossy black hair fell behind her like a waterfall with frost at it's base. Sophie watched in fascination from the doorway for a minute before walking into the room.

"Your talent is so cool and beautiful," she said. Linh jumped in surprise, dropping a shimmering sphere of water, and whirled around.

"Sophie, you surprised me!" she cried, laughing. "Good morning, and thank you." She lifted the water from the floor with a graceful sweep of her hand and sprinkled it back into the fountain with flicks of her fingers. "The water is beautiful," she agreed, "but there is much responsibility involved in controlling it. And small mistake can cost far too much."

"Don't keep thinking about Atlantis," Sophie said. "You've gotten a fresh start. Plus, I know all about one mistake costing." She was thinking back to the time she'd invaded the Ogre King's mind.

The girls walked down to the pavilion, where Amisi was laying out breakfast. Dex and Tam met them there. When they'd eaten, Sophie and Dex went to check on Danny. The little boy was stirring, and in a few moments he opened his eyes. Confusion, dulled by sleepiness, clouded his face and mind as he took in the odd surroundings.

"Hey, Danny, my name is Sophie," Sophie said gently in Russian.

Wide brown eyes turned to her. Beside her, Dex gasped the tiniest of gasps, but didn't react further. The boy watched them for a bit longer, then spoke. "Kelsey and Keefe told me abou' you. Am I at youwr house?"

"Not exactly," Sophie smiled at the little human, "but this is where you'll be staying for now."

"Ok." He was taking this all in stride, and Sophie wondered how he could be dealing so well. "Kelsey told me that I was goingk somewhewre safe, so hewre I am," he added calmly, as if he knew what she was thinking.

"What's he saying?" asked Dex. "What language is that?"

Danny flicked his eyes toward Dex. "I wis talking in WRussian," he lisped in the Enlightened Language. "But I tin talk sis way, too."

Sophie quelled her surprise and amusement as Dex turned red. "Well, Danny," she said, switching to the Enlightened Language, "do you remember the stories Kelse used to tell you about elves?"

"And los' cities and twravellingk in light and peopoule having powers?" The boy's eyes shone.

"Yes, exactly," Sophie agreed. "Well, those were more than stories."

"Sey were twrue," Danny finished, not looking the least bit surprised.

"You knew?" Sophie gasped, startled.

"I 'spoved," Danny said calmly. That was probably 'supposed,' Sophie translated in her head.

"And Kelse-" Sophie tried.

"Her daddy is a nelf, too." Danny stated, his matter-of-fact tone oddly old for a 5-year-old. "Sometimes, she would pewrten' tha', and anyway he wis diffewren'. I jus' guessed. Sa's wha' se fac's pointed to."

For a human to be reasoning logically and citing facts at five was a _slight_ deviation from normal. That much Sophie knew, and when she glanced at Dex, she saw he was thinking the same thing.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Sophie asked, deciding to put aside her questions for now.

"Ok," the little boy replied in the same tone he'd used for the last 'ok.' "Do you wreally ea' sose funny veggies sa' wewre in Kelsey's stowries?"

"Yes we do," Dex answered, finally finding his voice. The big brown orbs were turned toward him at that. Danny studied the redhead placidly. "Who'wre you?" he asked.

"This is my cousin Dex," Sophie introduced quickly.

Danny considered this, his stoic expression giving way to an excited sparkle as he pieced this together. "You'wre cousins, like Kelsey and me awre cousins?" His eyes glowed.

"Yes," Dex said, catching the little boy's enthusiasm with a broad grin.

Danny's face exploded in smiles, and his thoughts, pushing their way past Sophie's blocking in exuberance, were proud at figuring that out, and pleased at the connection. At least those were normal childish thoughts.

Sophie brought him some food, and when she returned to the room Dex and Danny were giggling. It was a good sign that they were bonding, Sophie thought with relief. Danny ate with relish, then stood up and stretched.

"I don' ge' to ea' in bed vewry much," he observed. "Only when I'm sick. I's funny." He grinned.

Sophie showed him where his things had been put, and where the bathroom was. When he'd used it, he sank down on the bed once more, eyelids heavy. Sophie had recognized the scent of slumberberry tea on his breath the night before, and he was quickly fading into another round of sleep.

"Why'm I so tiwred?" the little boy mumbled, curling up on the pillow.

Dex pushed a clump of silky brown hair out of his eyes. "Sleep a little longer, Danny. You'll feel much better." he whispered.

The teens left Danny and headed into the common room. Dex was frowning in thought.

"That's a lot for a kid to process in one morning," he said. "He may be a total stoic, and the complete opposite of the triplets, but something's got to give."

"I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now," Sophie said, trying not to worry. She already had enough to worry about.

Dex was still pensive. "Did you see how excited he was when you said we were cousins?" he asked, a little wistful. "It was so innocent, so sweet."

Sophie resisted the urge to cock an eyebrow, wondering what was getting to her best friend.

"Are you still happy to be my cousin?" Dex's voice was a little plaintive.

"Dex, of course! I couldn't have asked for anything more perfect than to have my best friend also be family."

Dex's periwinkle eyes held a world of turmoil with a dash of pain, but he smiled at Sophie.

"And I couldn't be happier to have you, Sophie."

"Are you ok, Dex?" Sophie was really worried now.

Dex straightened and flipped his hair off his face. "Absolutely," he said, and he _almost_ kept the quiver out of his voice.

Sophie pulled him into a long hug, and he hugged her back fiercely. They stood there until Sophie had no idea how much time had passed.

"Dex," she murmered in his ear, "If you need anything, just an ear, _anything_ , I'm here for you."

Dex snuffed, then said "I know, cuz, thank you." He straightened and smirked, but Sophie could see that he'd been trying not to cry.

Before she could make anything of that, her imparter beeped in her pocket. Both cousins started down toward the pavilion. Sophie pulled the device out to see who was calling. Fitz's face appeared on the screen as she accepted the call.

"Hey Sophie," he began, then paused. "Uh, where are you?"

Sophie sighed. "At Alluveterre." She knew what was coming now.

"Why?!" Fitz demanded, looking startled and worried. Sophie tried not to think about how cute that was, focusing on her dread of telling him.

"It's a long story-" she started.

"Oh, no you don't, Sophie. No more secrets, remember?"

"Can you get into my head?" Sophie asked after a moment.

"From across the world? Without touching you? Uh, that sounded weird. You know what I mean."

Sophie could feel the heat in her own face, but wondered why Fitz was blushing too. "Yeah, well try, anyway. If you can't, it's ok, but, just, It'll be easier to explain that way."

Fitz looked doubtful, but he closed his eyes. Sophie tried to imagine a trail of warmth stretching toward him, inviting him in the right direction. She met him halfway, entering his mind and helping him steer. He struggled, but suddenly there was a surge of triumph, and his voice filled her head.

 _I can't believe I did that!_ He bounced mentally. _Now, what's going on?_

Sophie was too drained to go over the events of the night before again, so she guided him to the memories of the past hours, then tried not to watch as he replayed them. Fitz went very still when he saw Keefe's face, and he quivered with- tension? But he was quiet until Sophie stopped the memory just before her odd conversation with Dex. That wasn't anything Fitz needed to see.

 _You called Dex and not me_ again _,_ he said, a tiny thread of hurt leaking through.

 _You must know why I did it, though,_ Sophie almost pleaded.

 _Because Dex has experience with kids?_ I _have a little sister!_

 _That's not the same at all, and you know it. You've seen enough of the triplets at Foxfire._

Fitz grimaced mentally.

 _But that's not the biggest reason, and you have to know that, too,_ Sophie observed quietly. _I_ _was afraid of what would happen if you met Keefe._

Sadness tinged Fitz's mind, but Sophie could feel him conceding her point. _It would have been hard for me to see him, especially when he just popped in after everything- and asked for a favor_ \- the anger was starting to come now, just as Sophie had feared, but Fitz pushed it aside - _but I wouldn't have hurt him, would have stayed calm, as long as you were there._

What was that supposed to mean? Sophie's mind was in a flurry and her heart was doing tricks for some unknown reason.

 _Well, why don't you come over now? We can do some exercises while Danny's sleeping, work on blocking human thoughts, and you can even bring Biana over to see Tam._

The amused smile in Fitz's mind was contagious. _Oh, I can't imagine she'd want to do that,_ He remarked drily.

* * *

The Vacker siblings arrived ten minutes later, after Sophie placed a call to Mr. Forkle. Iggy, whom Sophie had lent to Biana while she was recovering, came too. Biana and Tam (bringing Iggy) went for a walk in the woods, glancing at each other from time to time with smiles that were an odd mix of shy and sappy. Sophie and Fitz had to roll their eyes at the pair (Sophie refused to let her mind say the word _couple_ , even though it tried) as they walked toward the girl's treehouse.

"I want to check on Danny," Sophie said as they went. "You can come in and see him, if you'd like."

"Sure," Fitz began, but his voice trailed off when the entered the common room. Linh was playing with the fountain, looking as spectacular as she had that morning, and Fitz sucked in a tiny breath as he watched her.

Line felt their presence and turned around, water spinning in the air around her as she did, casting rainbows across the room so that it looked like she had a glowing multicolored aura.

"Whoa," Fitz breathed, and Sophie had a hard time feeling jealous. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, and that was saying a lot since she'd come to the lost cities.

"I'm sorry to be in the way here again," Linh said, the rainbows dancing across her smile in an incredibly distracting way. "I just can't seem to keep away from this fountain. It's so fascinating. All the seasons represented, yet existing at once in harmony…" she turned again, back to the fountain, and suddenly noticed the water around her. "Silly," she chided, giggling, and arched one eyebrow. The water collected in a single, multispectral, glowing bow and hovered for just an instant before arcing gracefully into the basin.

"If I ever end up with another talent," Sophie murmured, "I hope it's that."

They were yanked from the beauty of the moment by a small, agonized cry. Sophie dashed for Danny's room, barely registering Fitz's footsteps behind her. The little boy was tossing in his sleep, his face creased with a terrified frown.

"I've got to see what's wrong," Sophie whispered, mostly to herself, and she released her mental barriers, opening her mind to Danny's dreams.

 _Sophie was lost, even though this was the farm she had grown up on. No, not Sophie, she was Danny, in Danny's body, feeling what he was feeling. The outbuildings were crumbling around her, giving way to a sparkling cityscape. Dark-colored castles of glowing jewels sported spikes and teeth, leaning toward her. She shied away, but monstrous trees blocked her path, maniacal faces emerging from their trunks to glare at her. The world was spinning, the trees were throwing fantastical fruits that smelled like cheese at her. Kelsey was in danger, although she didn't know what from, and she couldn't get to her. Suddenly, it was Sophie/Danny in danger, and Kelsey was too far away. She couldn't get to her in time. Kelsey struggled forward uselessly, blood trailing from her mouth. Suddenly, hooded figures in black cloaks swooped down on sparkly winged horses, wielding huge double-edged battle-axes that dripped with blood…_

Sophie screamed and stumbled back. She was shaking so hard with sheer terror, her mind unable to compute it, that she didn't even feel any of the usual feelings when Fitz caught her, pulling her close. She quivered against him, eyes welling with tears, burying her face in his solid, comforting shoulder, forcing herself to concentrate on the strength and warmth of his arms around her.

"Shhhh" Fitz whispered in her ear, squeezing her so tight she didn't have enough air to keep hyperventilating, and rocking slightly.

It was several minutes before Sophie had recovered enough to start feeling embarrassed, and pulled away. "The nightmares are horrible," she said, her voice still cracking and shaking. "It's no wonder he's dealing with it so well while he's awake. It's all processing in his dreams. I've got to help him."

"Be careful," Fitz warned. "I'll be right here if you need backup."

Sophie closed her eyes and collected herself. She imagined feelings of peace, calm, and quiet happiness flowing into the little boy's dreams, smoothing the tight terror in his mind. She sent images of the glittering yet cozy beauty of Havenfield and the Dizznee's home, along with memories of she and Dex playing happily there in the open fields. She added pictures of Silveny frisking with them, showing how childish and silly the horse could be, and even resorting to the memory of being dumped into a pile of sparkly dung. The Danny's dreams began to grow more tranquil, and at last they faded altogether. Sophie sighed and straightened.

"I hope that does it," she said, when they'd left the room.

"You did what you could, Sophie," Fitz said gently. "I was watching. It was intense in there, and you just made it all go away."

"You were in my head?" Sophie asked. He hadn't asked before entering, and she hadn't even detected him, but she _had_ been a little distracted.

"I was worried about you. I was just trying to make sure you were safe. That's what cognates are for, after all." He was blushing, though.

"No, it's ok," Sophie said, surprised to find it was true. She was finally getting used to Fitz's presence in her head, even to the point that this uninvited intrusion didn't bother her like it once would have. They smiled at each other, and Sophie's heart fluttered, just like old times.

Laughter interrupted them. Dex and Linh were in fits in the common room.

"I'm so sorry!" Linh was saying.

"No, that was really cool! Also pretty. Anyway, now you've given me an idea about waterproof gadgets!" That was Dex, and his eyes were slits of pure mirth. Sophie and Fitz looked up to see Dex drenched, along with some gadget in his hand. Linh was standing by the fountain bent over with laughter.

"Um, what happened?" Sophie asked.

"Oh, hey Soph! Sorry, we just came over when we heard the screams, then Linh started playing with the water, and-"

"I was teasing him, hovering it over his head, when his gadget started beeping, and it startled me…"

They both burst out again. Then Linh pulled the water back into the fountain and sat down on her hands, trying to keep a straight face.

"How could you?" a high pitched voice screeched from the bridge outside. "I gave him to you to watch!" The sound of a horrified Biana was hard to mistake.

"I did watch him. He was hungry." Tam's impassive voice reached their ears.

"He ate a _living creature!_ "

"It was a bug."

Sophie and her companions exchanged wry smiles. "I'd better go break that up," Linh said reluctantly, amusement glinting in her eyes.

"Yeah, me too," Fitz agreed.

Sophie and Dex listened to the chaos that issued from a safe distance. Sophie moved to sit beside her cousin.

"So, a waterproof gadget, huh?" she asked, voice teasing.

"Don't you dare," Dex growled good-naturedly. "I see the way you act around a certain someone…"

"Excuse me?" Sophie blushed madly.

"And that's actually a very good idea. Don't try to deny that. It could be providential someday."

"Indubitably." Sophie didn't know what possessed her to say that, but the look Dex gave her was priceless.


	24. Chapter 23

**Ahh! I'm so sorry for falling off the face of the planet!**

 **(If you fall up, which is a thing that happens to the talentedly klutzy such as myself, and leave the ground for a minute, have you fallen off the face of the planet?)**

 **Anyway, I've been experiencing _horrible_ writer's block, and plus, Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for me. I know I haven't reviewed anyone's stories. Truth be told, I haven't really had time to read them, and if I'm being honest, I probably won't until after new year's. But once the holidays are over, I _promise_ I will get back to that. You can count on my reads and reviews once more. I also haven't read Lodestar yet, since I want this story to remain unaffected by it, so I'm trying to avoid spoilers. (I've read several by accident, and it's no fun...) But I finally got a chapter together, and getting knocked to the second page of doom was not acceptable... xp**

 **Reviews:  
KOTLC 1 Fan: That was a cliffhanger? I didn't mean for it to be... Oh well, you'll really be getting one now. *evil grins*  
Smiles: It's the WHAT? ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! REALLY? ! Wow, I'll try to be worth of that... Also, Thank you for sending me a review after all this time! It's really ****encouraging, you have no idea, that someone still remembers and cares after a month. You helped pull this update together!**

 **I may or may not (emphasis on not) be able to update again this year, so  
Merry Christmas  
Happy Hanukkah  
Happy New Year  
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !**

* * *

Chapter 23

Homey wasn't a word that came to mind as Keefe walked through the dark, gloomy west wing of the Neverseen base. It wasn't the non-crystal walls - he'd gotten used to that after living in the dugout for two weeks; nor was it the lack of windows - hallways usually don't have windows; nor was it the eerily glowing balefire crystals - those were pretty common in the lost cities, including at Candleshade. No, there was something else, like a sixth sense was screaming in his mind that this was not a healthy place to spend time in. Beside him, Kelse was as taut as a goblin on duty in Ravagog, her eyes darting back and forth. Her emotions were in such turmoil that Keefe was glad he couldn't feel them properly.

"So, home sweet home, huh?" he asked, mostly to fill the nauseating silence.

"Yep." Kelse's voice was so strained, it sounded like one more word would pop a vocal chord.

Keefe didn't think it was worth trying again.

They finally stopped at a heavy wooden door. Through the crack underneath it, faint colored light flashed. The teens watched it, then with a shudder, Kelse knocked.

"Come in," her father's rich voice called.

Keefe followed Kelse into the room. An impressive carved wood desk, drowned in papers and tools, commanded their attention. The Flasher sat before it in a matching chair, guiding orbs of light through and around a round, smooth object in his palm. Keefe sucked in a breath as he realized it was Kenric's cache. The man noticed his reaction and smiled.

"Ahh, I see you recognize this little gem," he said with a smile.

"Y-yes sir," Keefe replied, wondering why he was so nervous and stammering.

"Please," the man said with a cheesy smile, "Call me Harmin. Yes, our Technopath failed in his mission to access the information in this little enigma, so it fell to me to succeed. I've nearly figured it out, too."

Keefe felt his stomach drop into a pit so fast he felt sick. He wasn't sure if it was all his own sensation, since the vibes coming from Kelse were pretty unmistakably the same.

"I didn't call you here for that, though." Harmin's tone turned brisk, putting the cache in a small drawer. "You should be pleased to know that we were able to put the information you gleaned for us to use. The nuclear waste facility will be put out of business this evening."

"Oh." Keefe didn't know what else to say.

"In honor of your contribution, you will be permitted to attend the raid." Harmin smiled, but it was a hard, joyless expression. They would not be _permitted_ to decline this honor.

"I should have known," Kelse whimpered when they'd hunkered down in her room. They'd been instructed to stay there until the evening's mission, and Keefe didn't need to be intuitive to get that they were under house arrest, just in case they got any field trip ideas.

"Known?" he asked

"That mission would come back to bite us! I knew it would happen anyway, but to have to watch… oh, no." Her face turned whiter than usual.

"Um, what?"

"They're going to make us help. It's like a rite of passage. I've been spared it until now, since I was pretty much an honorary member, in because of my father. Now, they expect me to pull my weight as a full agent, just as they expect you to."

Keefe let that sink in. He had pledged himself to the Neverseen, true, but the idea of participating in a raid that would destroy property and take lives made him sick.

"When he said the Technopath failed," he asked, the thought occurring to him, "he meant he was killed for it?"

"Not killed, most likely, but a fate much worse than death," Kelse said gravely.

The sat in silence for a moment, feeling the minutes tick by, until Kelse murmured, "What are we going to do, Keefe? All those people!"

"Maybe," Keefe said, a desperate idea scrabbling about in his mind, "maybe we could find a way to warn them."

Slowly, Kelse flexed her hand, until her eyes lit with a spark of hope.

* * *

"The two of you, go with Alvar around the back. Keefe, you've used a melder before, correct?"

"Yeah," Keefe said warily. He didn't like the cool, efficient way Fintan was giving orders. When Alvar handed him a weapon, Kelse blanched, fingers tight around the unlit torch she'd been given to hold. Keefe had held one before, of course, but seeing how it affected her, especially since he knew the reason, made the device feel cold and awkward in his grasp.

As the three of them made their way through the woods toward the back of the building, Keefe tried to see the Alvar he knew in the tall, cloaked figure beside him, but the few times he glimpsed the Vanisher's face, all he could see was the maniacal glow of his eyes. The dancing light from Kelse's torch, lit just before they left, only made the impression more frightening. He was hard, crazed, and nothing like the man Keefe had once admired.

"Part of our job is to scout the area, to make sure we won't be discovered," Alvar explained. "Someone should go around the perimeter, someone else check the grounds. Walking through the grounds will be dangerous, since we must not be seen."

"We'll do that," Kelse volunteered quickly. Alvar studied her. "Both of you?" he asked at last.

"We work best as a team," Keefe interjected. "And didn't Fintan say we have to be together for important things?"

"That wasn't exactly it," the Vanisher grumbled, "and I hardly think he meant this kind of situation. But since this is your first mission, I suppose it will have to be acceptable."

The teens crept out of the tree cover as Alvar began a perimeter sweep, and the thought popped into Keefe's mind that he and Kelse looked like black-draped twins, with their identical uniform robes, and their hoods up. They stole down one of the paths, then froze as one at the sound of a person ahead. A worker, his radiation badge reflecting the dim light, paced in the tiny courtyard, as if stretching his legs, and took deep breaths. He sighed and flexed his arms, and Kelse grabbed Keefe, digging her nails into his wrist as the man's face came into focus. It was the worker they'd interviewed. Carefully, Kelse led Keefe to the bush nearest the worker, standing so that they were hidden, but their shadows were just barely visible around the shrubbery.

"If you value your life, you will listen to me," Kelse breathed in an eerie, husky whisper.

The man's head snapped up, and he scanned the edges of the courtyard, tight lines etching his face. His eyes rested on the shadows, and he started forward.

"Stop," Kelse commanded, and Keefe let the melder's shadow emerge from his cloak's. The man shrank back.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he hissed.

"Who we are is not important," Kelse replied. "Warn your colleagues and leave this place. Take nothing with you, do not linger, do not allow yourselves to be seen except in your own homes tonight. If you deviate from this, you will die."

Stunned, the man processed that in stiff silence. "What is the meaning of this? What is going on?"

"It is safer if you don't know," Kelse insisted.

"Safer for who?" he countered.

Keefe had been learning english since his initiation, and felt the need to interject at this point. "Are you willing to gamble your life and the lives of the others here?" His accent was thick but intelligible.

The man only hesitated a second longer. He dashed into the building, leaving the courtyard empty, save for two black shadows.

* * *

"Unacceptable!"

Fintan was angry. Heat radiated around the room, and the threat of spontaneous combustion was becoming very real to the others gathered in the room. Even Brant looked nervous, which was a huge red flag.

"Fifty people worked at that plant. Fifty! And do you know how many casualties there were? _Nineteen._ There was absolutely no reason for those workers to be anywhere else but there. Someone must have tipped them off." He glared around the room at each member of the night before's mission, as if trying to expose the traitor in their midst with pure mental power. Keefe didn't think he had that ability, but Fintan just made him nervous on general principles. The guy could sear the information out of him with a touch of his finger, after all.

"You don't think they were just out on a coffee break?" asked Kelse hopefully.

Fintan turned his glare on her in full force. It _did_ sound pretty lame. _"At the same time?"_ His voice was eerily hushed and icy hot.

Kelse shrank back. "It was just a thought," she squeaked feebly.

"I want to know who betrayed us!" Fintan roared. His eyes lingered on Keefe.

"Does it really matter how many people died?" Alvar interposed, taking his life in his hands in the process. All eyes turned on him, but he swallowed only once and pressed on. "I mean, the point of the mission was to destroy the facility. We did that. We also got all the information stored there, but we knew the information had to be backed up somewhere. The fact that a few more people survived than initially planned doesn't compromise the success of the mission."

The silence was deadly with tension. Finally, Fintan's furnace-y aura faded. "You may have a point," he conceded. "And then again, you may be protecting someone."

Alvar looked Fintan right in the eyes. "I was the youngest to ever join the Neverseen. I've willingly been a part of this organization for most of my life. That's more than anyone else in this room can say. You wish to question my loyalty? I will only warn you, it would be unwise to make an enemy of me."

For a long, horrible moment, there was a battle of wills between the two men. Keefe tried to tell himself he no longer cared what happened to Alvar, but he couldn't help but be nervous for him. Finally, Fintan straightened.

"Your loyalties are not in question, of course," he said, a little stiffly. "Just make sure your personal feelings do not blind you to the greater goal. You may have power, but I know your weakness."

Alvar's brave facade cracked slightly, but he held it together as Fintan dismissed the group. As the adults left, Keefe held Kelse back in the hall. Alvar was the last one in the room. Before his footsteps reached the doorway, Fintan's voice called out one last warning.

"Do not underestimate me, Alvar Vacker. I would be, at best, just as formidable an enemy to you."

Alvar breezed out of the room and past the two eavesdroppers, the blink in his step flickering in a way that reminded Keefe of anger… or disquietude.


	25. Chapter 24

**Whew! We made it through the most wonderful (hectic) time of the year! And I'm really back now! It'll take a while to get caught up, so please bear with me if I don't review you right away. I'm trying, I promise!**

 **Reviews:  
KOTLC 1 fan: Yup, I did. And now I did it again! :)  
Bookwyrm: Nope, not only you. Actually, if you remember, I have him rant way back in chapter 1 about why he was driven to this. Not that I'm justifying it. I still really feel upset about it and all, but I can't fully despise him. (Hold on to those feelings, they are being played up for a reason... ! ! !)  
Smiles: I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE ALIVE OH MY GOODNESS! ! ! I hope this wait didn't kill you, either, and that the chapter will bring you... Smiles.  
Sorry, I had to:)**

 **Now, I stink at action, so this is chock full o' nuts - I mean** ** _characters_ \- I mean character _development_ (I had to do that, too) but in the next chapter, things are going to start building. The action is coming, soon, very soon. This is equal parts angst and fluff, so please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 24

"In. The. Tub."

" _No_."

Sophie wasn't sure how Danny had managed to get black smudges all over himself, or how he'd tracked dirt all over his room, but there he was, half undressed, standing with his lower lip out and his arms crossed. Dex had his arms crossed, too, though, and he was rapidly winning the intense staring contest. Danny's mouth quivered, and he scrunched his face in an effort to hold out, to no avail.

"No faiwr! _You'wre_ no' takingk a basth!" The little boy stomped his foot.

"I don't need one," said Dex drily. "I already took my bath today, and I wasn't out playing in the dirt."

"I wis jus' makingk a fowrt!" Danny objected, indignance radiating from his small body. "Sa's impowrten'!"

"Of course it is," agreed Dex readily. "I never said it wasn't, but after you go to work, you have to come home and get clean before you can eat dinner. Even grownup daddies have to do that."

"E-even gwrownup daddies?" Curiosity poked through Danny's tone.

"Absolutely."

Ten minutes later, the little boy was splashing and playing in the water, his clothes in the expert care of the gnomes.

"Dex," Sophie said, sitting down on the bed, "you are amazing. _I_ wouldn't have been able to do that."

"You didn't have brothers," Dex explained with a mischievous smile. "It's a whole different bramble game from having sisters." A loud _thunk-smash_ assailed their ears from the bathroom, and Dex rolled his eyes. "I'd better go supervise."

Sophie wandered out into the pavilion to find Tam sitting alone, watching Linh play with a pod of Eckodons at the water's edge. She sat beside him, and after a moment asked "a penny for your thoughts?"

Tam shifted his intense gaze to her. "What would I do with a penny?"

Sophie should have known the expression would be lost on an elf, although she felt a little surprise that he knew what a penny even was, once she thought about it. "Sorry, silly question," she apologized.

Tam shrugged. "It's hard to overcome your upbringing," he said, and it sounded like he didn't just mean Sophie.

Sophie wondered if this was an opportunity to learn more about the newest additions to her friend group. She pondered for a long moment before speaking again.

"I guess you've had more than your share to overcome, as far as upbringing."

"And other factors." It sounded as if Tam wasn't going to say more. The faint sounds of splashing, coming from both directions, filled the silence as it stretched to two minutes, four minutes, five. When Tam finally spoke again, it gave Sophie a start.

"It was never as simple as one of us being the favorite and the other being contemned." He paused, and Sophie noticed there were shadows gathering around his fingertips. "Linh was born first. My parents were appalled when I followed her. They hoped I would die, it has happened that there are complications with multiple births, although very rare, but I was the stronger. As time passed, they went from favoring the sweet, cute oldest to putting their hopes in the seemingly more resilient one. Linh is sensitive, not weak. She has a bright inner strength. But they didn't understand that. When I became rebellious to their treatment of us, they began to prefer her compliant demeanor. They raged when she agreed with me. Then we took our exams for Foxfire."

As he was talking, the shadows had deepened around his fingers, until each was surrounded with a little ball of darkness. Now, he flexed his hand, slowly morphing the tiny orbs into two perfect spheres of mottled inky blackness in his palms. They were, in their own way, just as beautiful as Linh's water spheres, but not so pure. Instead, there was a fascinating terribleness in it, that drew Sophie in, making her want to keep looking forever, feelings of terror and panic simmering just inside.

"My scores were the ninth highest ever recorded." Tam's voice suddenly seemed darker and spookier. "But Linh's were the second highest. Suddenly, she was the hope of the family once more. She could return us to honor. Our parents offered us an ultimatum. Linh may skip one level, or two, if she wished. Her scores were that high. I could not. If I renounced my rebellious ways, I could remain only one level behind her. Otherwise, I would be forced to stay two levels behind, or sent to the trade school. I, who scored higher than millennia of elves. I practically shouted that we would both go to the trade school rather than agree, but how could I do that to Linh? My brave, beautiful, brilliant…" He nearly choked on a repressed sob. Sophie pretended not to notice. "I couldn't leave her, so I entered Foxfire as a level 1, and she entered as a level 2. Three months later, we manifested. First Linh, then me, two days later."

Tam tightened his fists around the shadow balls as if they were beginning to be solid. Without warning, he hurled them out of the pavilion. They crashed into a tree, thumping the trunk hard before dispersing. Like a snowball, Sophie thought. Or an anti-snowball. Her heart pounded. There was a lot of pent up anger boiling beside her now. She'd started the unleashing process, but she was afraid of how it would unwind.

"Suddenly, I was the beloved one again," Tam continued, his tone becoming sinister. "I had manifested my father's power. I was the ' _true Song heir_. _'_ I would have rather gone talentless. The fights we had were awful. Finally, at midterms, they took Linh to Atlantis. I was grounded. If I'd gone, if I'd been there… But I wasn't. I warned them it was a bad idea. Linh was afraid. They refused to listen. They were angry, and it was my fault! Linh nearly died, and still she was blamed. I couldn't let her take the blame for something that wasn't her fault, and I couldn't live with my parents any more. So I destroyed my registry pendant and went with her to Exillium. I've never regretted the decision."

The silence was both deafening and crushing. Sophie felt like she was taking her life in her hands when finally, her voice careful and gentle, she said "You can't blame yourself, Tam. What happened wasn't your fault any more than it was hers. If anyone should share blame with your parents, it's the Council. I can't understand why they would do something like that."

"They feared my father," Tam said flatly.

The sound of running feet made them turn. Danny came dashing down the walk, so clean he shone. He was holding a tiny guitar. It may have been a toy, but it had six strings like a proper guitar.

"Sophie!" he crowed, so happy it was impossible to see the same child as the stubborn, angry boy he'd been half an hour before.

"Hey, Danny!" Sophie couldn't help laughing. "Can you play that?" She gestured at the instrument.

Danny beamed. "Yeah!"

" _Play?_ What is that thing anyway?" demanded Tam.

"Oh, I've seen this in a movie," said Dex, a little excited. "It's called a _gui-ta-r._ " He sounded the word out carefully. "You pluck the strings to make music."

Tam raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"What are you going to play?" Sophie inquired, turning back to Danny.

Danny tilted his head, reminding Sophie of a bird. "Wha's youwr favouwrite song?" he asked.

Taken off guard, and wondering what difference that made to a five-year-old, Sophie pulled her iPod from her pocket and shuffled through her playlists, finally landing on an appropriate ballad that was slow but not depressing. She'd always loved it's gentle melody and sweet harmonies. It was an American song, and seemed moderately complex, though Sophie knew very little about music, so she wasn't surprised when he didn't know it.

"Jus' stawr' i'," he insisted. Sophie pressed play and turned up the volume. All through the first verse and chorus, Danny's face was a mask of concentration. His fingers twitched along the instrument's neck. On an impulse, Sophie translated the chorus into Russian, chanting tunelessly along.

At the start of the second verse, the miracle occurred. Danny's slender little fingers snapped into place, and he began to play along. Just the chords at first, but by the time the song had reached the bridge, he was playing note for note what the artist was playing. Just when Sophie thought she couldn't process anymore, the little boy chimed in on the last chorus, lustily singing the words she'd translated for him in a adorable but beautiful voice. When the track finished, you could have heard a prattles pin drop. At some point in the performance, Linh had entered the pavilion, and stood just as still and stunned as the others.

"D-Danny, I thought you said you'd never heard that before," whispered Sophie when she'd found her voice.

"Oh, I didn'," said Danny matter-of-factly. "X'cep' now, couwrse." He giggled.

"But then," Linh's voice, as musical as a running stream, interjected, "You just played it without knowing the end or anything?"

"I's easy to tell whewre a song's goingk. I can jus' feel se pattewrn, and se…" he faltered, then finished in Russian.

"' _Irregularities_ of the music, too,'" Sophie translated, "Or possibly _wanderings_. The translation's a little complicated. But to be able to sense that- it's an incredibly rare ability."

"Like, a special ability?" asked Linh, confused.

"Humans don't have special abilities like elves do, but many humans are musical in some way. The number who are that talented, though- it's almost one in a lifetime."

"A lifetime?" Tam didn't so much cock his head as give Sophie that feeling as he bored into her with his dark stare.

How could you ever explain a lifetime to ageless beings? Not for the first time, Sophie wondered if never dying was as much a good thing as it seemed. How could they appreciate the truly unique when words like 'special ability' and 'prodigy' stood for the ordinary and normal, and those who were exceptional never died, never left a legacy to follow, only a shadow you could never get out of? It didn't make for a lasting civilization. Once again, she thought perhaps she'd been given an important perspective. The elves needed someone to help them gain that, too, before it was too late.

She reached out and ran her hand through Danny's incredibly soft hair. "Let me put it this way," she said, looking around the room at her friends. "We in this room represent some of our world's greatest talent. Even you, Dex," she added, when he turned away with a wave of his hand. "After all, you were the second youngest to ever manifest." Dex blushed. "Well it's true," Sophie maintained. "Long before you finally figured out your ability, you- how did you say it? _'I'm good with machines.'_ " Sophie didn't realize she had mimicked Dex's voice perfectly until everyone glanced at her in surprise. She flushed as a surge of excitement thrilled through her, then forced herself to continue. "My point is, we four, along with Fitz and Biana, are pretty exceptional, even by elvin standards. And Danny belongs in our group. Danny is gifted. Humans might say- a _prodigy_."

Danny was looking at her with wide eyes, liking the sound of her voice, sensing she was speaking favorably of him, but not really able to understand the fast, complex dialogue in the inhuman language. His face glowed with rapture and contentment in their company, and as the elves turned to look at him once more, their faces reflected a newfound regard for their tiny human guest.

* * *

 _Can I put something here? I know I haven't used an after the story note yet, but I didn't want to interrupt the beginning. It's about something horrible that happened in my country this past week. I'm not going to start putting things like this in, ever except this once because it struck me to the heart with the brutality._

 _A disabled teenaged boy was kidnapped and tortured by four healthy people his own age. They were trying to make him curse a certain person who is in the limelight of our country these days. Now I don't really care what their political affiliation is, or his, or why they did it. Torture is wrong. Picking on a disabled person because you're too afraid to pick on someone who might try to defend themselves is just sick. I just wanted to say something, for one because its really been weighing on me and I don't really have anyone I can talk about these things with except my mom, and for another in hopes that you might add your thoughts and prayers to mine in support of this boy and his family._


	26. Chapter 25

**Hey all, back again! I know I'm being slow reading and reviewing, but I'm trying really hard to avoid spoilers still, since I have a lot of chapters to go on this monster baby yet.**

 **OK, so a small note about the rating. I chose T, but it's been pretty K up until now. I just want you to know the rating was not just overkill. This chapter is still relatively K, but in the coming chapters, I'm going to be starting some very intense scenes that involve intrigue, darkness, and a little smattering of romance. I promise it won't get overboard, but I just don't want y'all to be shocked after being lulled by the** **previous chapters. I do _NOT_ promise that everyone will live, and I do _NOT_ promise any actual death, but I'm just putting that out there...**

 **Reviews:  
First of all, thanks for putting up with my little note at the end of the last chapter. Each of you wrote such a sweet answer. You helped me feel much better:)**

 **Smiles: Thanks for understanding! ****You made me feel so warm inside with that review! Thank you so much! And yes, I got it:) I come from a long line of Punsters™ so sometimes I can't help but let one slip out.**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan: Thank you, and Thank you! (lol)**

 **PokeMANS: I'm glad you like him! Yeah, my cousins speak Russian, but honestly I love the sounds of so many languages. I didn't have an exact song in mind that he was singing, leaving it up to the reader's preference, but I kind of imagine his voice being in timbre like Tiny Tim's in the 1970 movie 'Scrooge.'  
I never really thought of Sophie's mothering side coming out for Danny like that... but I like it! That would honestly be so amazing! I don't really have the pacing to stick it in here, but if you would like to write that yourself, you have my permission;) (just be sure to credit me for the OC)  
And one last thing, thank you for sharing a little of your personal experience. It means a lot to me to see where other people are coming from. (That was indeed the incident I was referring to.)**

 **7: Thank _you._ I was pretty upset, and the support I got from everyone was wonderful.**

 **booksaremylife: Magnificent? My story? Oh, my stars and sonnets! Thank you! Here is the update!**

* * *

Chapter 25

The next afternoon, after a quick text, Kelse and Keefe - his hair brown from an elixir Kelse had given him - waited on the streets of Mysterium, just outside of Slurps and Burps for Mr. Forkle to come get them. He arrived in a huff.

"You kids are going to run me ragged," he grumped. "Pretty soon, I'm just going to have to give Sophie her own crystal."

Dex popped out of the store.

"Hey guys," he said with a smile. "Sophie's coming in just a minute. She just had to go home and change after Foxfire."

Sure enough, Sophie glittered into view down the street. Her tunic was rumpled, and the dark bags under her eyes were puffy. Her hair floated in stringy wisps around her head. Dex reached out his arm and hugged her when she came over.

"Didn't you sleep at all, Soph?" He murmured, making her hair puff around his face.

"I'm fine," Sophie rasped, her voice sounding too raw.

"Don't try to tell me that when I practically had to carry you through the school day. You can't keep this up."

Sophie pulled away and smiled tiredly. "I love you for being worried for me, cuz. But I can't reach Silveny, and you understand why I won't take sedatives."

Dex shuddered sympathetically.

Mr. Forkle leapt them to Alluveterre and led them to the boy's common room. He sat them down, watching Kelse almost hungrily. Before she could speak, though, Danny burst in.

"Kelsey!" he shrieked, launching himself into her arms from halfway across the room. She laughed and stood to catch him, falling back down as he knocked into her. Dex and Keefe, on either side, reached out to steady her. Danny dove at each of them, then snuggled back into his cousin's lap, bouncing and fidgeting. The rest of Sophie's group filed in and found seats. Finally, Kelse decided it was time to address the t-rex in the room.

"You probably are wondering why we are here," she began, addressing Mr. Forkle. "Other than to see Danny, that is."

The wrinkled man nodded. "There have been rumors of an attack in the human world, one right along the lines of the Neverseen's agenda."

"Indeed," Kelse said stiffly. "If you feel you need conformation about the blame, I can assure you your suspicions are correct, but that is not part of the information I am willing to share today."

She exchanged a pained, worried look with Keefe as she spoke, and saw the relief in his eyes.

"Oh." Mr. Forkle seemed to study them. Kelse knew it must seem odd, after promising informations, to be so selective, but she couldn't share that.

"I believe you will find what I have brought much more valuable than the details of a past raid." She paused for effect before announcing "I have found an item recently taken from you. To be specific, the lost cache."

Gasps echoed around the room. Keefe buried his head in his chest, trying to shrink, and Danny climbed into his lap.

"You- have it then?" Mr. Forkle managed at last, hope gleaming in his eyes.

"Not here," Kelse admitted. "It would have been much too dangerous to try such a thing. But I have a way to retrieve it."

"Have Sophie manifest as a Conjurer?" suggested Dex helpfully, "and see the location in your brain?" He had dimples. _Dimples._ Had he always had dimples? Kelse realized he had, now that she thought about it. Why was she just noticing now?

Pushing that away, she smiled tightly. "It may not be so far from the truth as you think. Don't worry, Sophie, I'm not expecting you to do anything," she added. Sophie had turned a delicate pink at the mention of manifesting again.

"I think we can all agree that you blame Keefe for the loss of the cache," she said, making Keefe bury his head in Danny's hair as everyone else glanced at him.

"Blame him?" Tam snorted. "It was _all_ him."

"But I want you to know," Kelse continued bravely, "that it's because of Keefe that we will have the ability to get it back."

Everyone looked surprised, including Keefe. Understanding flashed in his eyes a little late, and he silently transmitted worried support for what she was about to do.

"I have not been completely upfront with information from my past. You all know the basics, like who my mother was, because of Danny, but what you don't know is how that affected my genetic makeup."

Sophie leaned forward, as if piecing together what she could deduce. Everyone else, with the exception of Keefe and Mr. Forkle, looked mystified.

"I have been wondering what the mixture did to your DNA," the man admitted. "I myself studied genetic science at great length, you know."

"You don't say," said Sophie drily, blushing to the tips of her ears.

"As recently as last month, no one held out any hopes that I could manifest a special ability. My mother's influence is too strong. That's one reason I can never take this off." She waved her watch. "But one day, after Keefe and I had bonded, I thought I could feel his emotions. It turned out that I had, but couldn't repeat it. Later, through some accidental trial and error-"

"And some very confusing not-so-accidental experimenting," Keefe put in, face a mask of mischief.

Kelse glared, then went on as if he hadn't spoken. "-we discovered something startling." She looked around the room, her insides trembling. "I have a new, never before heard of ability. I'm a Borrower."

There was deafening silence for a moment. Then, Sophie said "Like in the book!"

" _Thank_ you!" Kelse reached across the couch for a high five. Keefe sighed dramatically.

Mr. Forkle looked like steam was about to explode from his ears. And possibly his eyes, nose, and mouth, too. "Fascinating," he murmured. "Your human DNA must have diluted your limbic system, so the genetic information morphed to create the strongest alternative it could."

 _Morphed?_ Kelse really wished that guy would morph some tact. She could only imagine how much he embarrassed Sophie.

"The point is, I know where the cache is. If there is a Conjurer I can borrow…"

"Conjuring is a very complicated ability," Mr. Forkle warned. Also he'd interrupted, not that anyone else seemed to think that odd.

"I seem to be able to draw on the experience of my host as well as on their ability. It's nothing conscious, no mental link, but I can feel their confidence and skill levels."

The man reached out his hand. "Would you care to demonstrate?"

Kelse took the hand and closed her eyes, concentrating on the feeling of his ability surging through her. After a few seconds, she felt as if her mind needed to stretch, in the way muscles need to. As she stretched, sharp needle-like phrase fragments pierced her head. She gasped. "What…?"

"Human thoughts," Mr. Forkle chuckled. "Sharp, aren't they?"

"ой небеса" she said. **[AN In English 'oh heavens!' but it made more sense for her to speak Russian]** "How do you stand it?" After a moment, though, something tickled at the edges of her consciousness, and she felt the right walls slide into place as she brushed over the spots.

The Black Swan leader grunted in surprise. "How did you do that?" he asked. "Putting up the protective barriers is an advanced skill."

"Your mind has much experience with it, though," Kelse observed, "and you are even now employing them." Suddenly, she felt him probing her. In a flash, she had put up a wall in front of his path.

"How?" the man wondered.

"An especial talent of yours as well?" She smirked and pulled her hand away. "It has everything to do with such things. For instance," she laced her fingers through Keefe's; "I can feel Sophie's curiosity from here."

"I think that settles it," Sophie said. "You can come home with me, and Edaline will help you."

* * *

At Havenfield, Keefe and Dex took Danny to play with some exotic creatures. Kelse worried, but Dex assured her he had everything under control.

"Concentrate," said Edaline gently, when they'd joined hands. She was kind and sweet, and made Kelse lonely for her own mother. "Picture exactly where the cache is. Are you certain it's still there?"

"There were no _plans_ to move it today, so like 98.6% sure," said Kelse.

"Let's start with a closer object." Edaline picked up a mug from the table. "Look at the mug. Sense it," she directed. Then she put it on the floor under the table. Kelse peeked at it, then straightened. "Feel for it with your mind," Edaline directed. Try to wrap it with strings. Then, picture pulling it away. Picture it here, in your hand. As you snap, give the strings a little tug."

Kelse did as she was told. The mug popped into her hand. She dropped it in surprise, then looked under the table. It wasn't there, of course. "Amazing," she breathed.

Trembling with anticipation, she tried for the cache. At her snap, the marble dropped into her palm. Sophie squealed with delight, and hugged her fiercely. The adults (Mr. Forkle had stayed) breathed huge sighs of relief.

"Find a safe place for this," Mr. Forkle instructed Sophie. "If you don't feel up to that, let someone you trust do it, just don't ever let it be lost again."

Sophie took the sphere timidly, then handed it to Sandor.

"You take it," she said. "I don't ever want to know where you put it."

Sandor wrapped his meaty hand around the cache.

"You need never worry about this again, Miss Foster," he squeaked.

* * *

Kelse and Keefe visited twice in the next week. There was something about Dex's bubbly, innocent, yet responsible personality that Kelse couldn't help but feel drawn to. One afternoon, she let him play with her watch. He held it in his hands reverently, turning it and sensing the mechanisms inside.

"This technology, the way the human and elvin are mixed, it's _amazing!_ " he breathed. "I could spend hours playing with it." Kelse watched the rapt glow of his face, taking pleasure in his excitement. His fingers, so strong yet so sensitive, held her eyes as they skittered around the device.

"The nexus band is still trackable," he remarked after a moment, "but I think that using the human tech, I could disrupt that, if you're ok with me taking the back off." He tapped the back of the watch.

The device was precious and irreplaceable, but Kelse had come to trust Dex. After all, she was already trusting him with the most valuable part of her life, and Danny loved him dearly. The little boy's attachment to his new unofficial guardian was growing daily by leaps and bounds.

"Yeah, just- be careful," she said, hesitating only a moment.

"Always," said Dex with a smirk. He began to gently pry the panel off. Kelse hovered her fingers over his wrist in an uncertain question. Dex looked down at it.

"Oh, sure," he said, and his cheeks colored slightly. She rested her cold fingers on his warm wrist, smiling when he flinched.

"Sorry, they're always like that," she apologized.

"It's fine," he mumbled.

The awkwardness vanished in a moment, though, when his ability began to course through her mind. Every gear, every circuit, every wire made sense, like a beautiful puzzle just begging to be taken apart and put back together. As he worked, she found herself anticipating each move, instinctively feeling each touch's necessity. The sense of harmony was calming and perfect.

Ten minutes later, he'd gotten the piece back together. "There," he declared. "Now even the ogres couldn't track this. I should have thought earlier about the uses of human technology in this way. I think I've just made a breakthrough- this could change undercover operations forever!"

The moment lasted only a few minutes longer. Biana, Keefe, and the others burst into the room, laughing. Sophie, carried along in the tide, was as red as a beet.

"It's true!" Biana was shrieking. "I dare anyone to deny it!"

" _I_ do," Tam said, his voice obstreperous.

"Well, you're allowed," Biana granted generously. "I mean anyone else." Keefe and Fitz were both as red as Sophie, but they said nothing.

"What's going on?" demanded Dex. He and Kelse had been sitting on the floor, but they stood now.

"I just said Sophie's liable to be the prettiest of us, that's all. What's _your_ opinion, Dex?" Biana's eyes gleamed wickedly.

"Oh, I dunno," Dex hedged, glancing at Kelse. "Of course, I think my cousin is as beautiful as she can be."

" _O-ho_!" crowed the brunette giddily. "And what about Kelse? You keep your beauty hidden. Maybe _you're_ the prettiest of all. Why don't you show us?"

Kelse's heart pounded. She'd been careful to keep her hair over her face while in the presence of these teens. None of them knew the truth thanks to her vigilance, and she wasn't anxious to change that. Having Keefe know had been a release, but it didn't mean she was eager for her disfigurement to become common knowledge. Biana kept goading, and reached out to move Kelse's hair. Kelse shoved her hand away just in time with telekinetic force, but she was slow. She began to panic, and her blood rushed in her ears, blotting out the sounds in the room and making it spin. Vaguely, she heard Keefe warn Biana to stop. Vaguely, she saw him try to grab the other girl's arm, but everything was moving in slow motion. Before she could react, Biana's hand darted out again, and this time Kelse was powerless to stop it. Her hair was pulled away, and the light hit her scars.

The room fell silent. There was a long, horrible pause, then Keefe grabbed her, spinning her so her face was buried in his shoulder. He wrapped his strong arms around her tightly and rocked tenderly. She started to shake with suppressed sobs. His emotions - anger and protectiveness and worry - coursed through her, soothing her.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" he fumed, his voice likely directed at Biana, although Kelse wasn't about to look up. "This wasn't your affair. Why'd you have to butt in?"

"I- I didn't know! I was just having a little fun! Oh, Kelse I'm so sorry! What… What happened?"

Keefe hesitated, but Kelse nodded into his broad collarbone. As long as she didn't have to move, maybe it was time they knew the whole story.

"Before she was born, her mother was hit by a melder," he began. "The shot went right through her human physiology and hit baby Kelse on the side of her eye. She's gotten plenty of ignominy from the Neverseen - and her father - for it. The last thing she needed was for you to come along and reopen that wound."

There was ashamed silence for a bit longer- Kelse wasn't sure how much time passed. Then, timidly, thin arms wrapped around her in a gentle, loving gesture. She recognized Dex and turned to hug him back, keeping her face well hidden in his shoulder. Sophie's arms joined the hug, and they stood there for a long minute. Then Keefe took her back, his wonderfully solid arm still hiding her face, and put up her hood. Dex carefully strapped her watch to her wrist, then stepped back as Keefe held it up. Twisting the correct crystal, he leapt them away, back home to the dugout.


	27. Chapter 26

**This is it, guys! The last happy, cozy ending for a long, long while! But it's a slightly angsty ride even then, so buckle up.**

 **Straight to reviews:**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan: Well, that's the kicker, isn't it? Angst happened, plus a very important character point. Ugh, writers block is terrible! But don't let fanfic be a stressor! It's supposed to be fun, even if it is a bit of a responsibility. You'll get back in the groove! I'll be praying for you as you adjust to your new school schedule!**

 **Smiles: (or is it Sniffles yet?:)) Phew! A lovely epistle to answer! I absolutely love getting such long, thorough reviews! Yes, Biana has... issues. But that's a character arc for another chapter. And thank you so much! I'm glad that you're excited for what *I'm* writing! *Flushes* So, the questions:  
I have been holding off, because I wanted to keep this story original, but NEWS FLASH PEEPS Y'ALL NEED TO KNOW THIS I have this whole thing pretty much solid in my head as far as plot points, so I HAVE BEGUN READING LODESTAR! ! ! ! ! This does not mean I will be reading all the spoiler-filled fanfics yet, because I'm only two chapters in and I intend it make it last at least a ****smidge, but yeah. Yay! ! !  
The book, actually a series, is called The Borrowers, by Mary Norton. It's not at all about elves or magical powers, (ok, it may have a little to do with the extraordinary...) but I couldn't resist sticking that in, 'cuz I'm weird that way. ;p A total recommend, though.  
Hmmm, I've got to warn you, I may love making everyone suffer horrific things and going through all kinds of pain, but my one true weakness is sappy, perfect, happy endings. I've killed off almost-main characters in my time, so there's that, but I always love it when MOST of them live happily ever after. Or as happy as they can be, when the guilt of surviving weighs so heavily on them... ex _cuse_ me, that sounded rather bad, _didn't_ it. *isn't actually very sorry* But anyway, just don't get your hopes too high that all 8 peeps are going out or anything, cuz I may be a hardened, twisted soul with a maniacal love of gore, but inside I really just need fluff.**

 ** _And Now,_ the moment about half of you have been waiting for... The- Oh goodness, just read.**

* * *

Chapter 26

Even though the whole debacle had been Biana's fault, Sophie didn't have it in her heart to fully blame the girl. She'd been so frail since coming back from the brink, and the only times she didn't seem to be fading away was when she was acting out, flirting, or otherwise over the top with a forced kind of excitement. She'd taken a distinct turn for the worse when Keefe started coming around again. It was heartbreaking enough to have to watch, without inculpating her for what had happened.

Something had changed, though, between Kelse and Dex. They grew closer, as if the experience had drawn them together in an inexpressible way. Sophie knew how much it meant to Kelse that she and Dex had unquestioningly accepted and comforted her after the revelation, but while she felt her own platonic bond with the girl grow, Kelse's burgeoning affinity with Dex felt different somehow. Since Kelse could visit without danger of tracking now, she came almost every day. It only took a week and a half for the two to practically become - did Sophie dare let herself think the word - a _couple_.

If only it were so easy for Sophie. Kelse seemed to think of Keefe as a brother, although Keefe's feelings weren't so clear. Sophie, on the other hand, wasn't sure what she felt. She found herself thinking about such things more and more as she watched her friends grow together, wondering about her own heart situation. She liked Keefe as a friend, of course, but her feelings for him were complicated. She pitied him more than anything else. On the other hand, Fitz had always made her heart flutter. She'd always dismissed it as a silly crush, but the more she got to know him, the more she liked him for who he was on the inside, too. It was all too complicated.

One afternoon, when Danny had been wrestled into taking a nap at last, Sophie, Kelse, and Dex sat alone overlooking the water. Kelse had her arm through Dex's, and after a moment, she spoke.

"I spoke to Keefe last night," she started hesitantly.

Dex looked up at her. "You…?"

Sophie frowned at them. "What are you guys talking about?"

The two teens looked at each other, then Dex took a deep breath. "Kelse and I have been talking about it, and we feel that our relationship has progressed past just friendship."

"Whoa, what…"

"And that's ok," Kelse added quickly. "I mean, I do like Dex that way." They both blushed like the adorable dorks they were.

"But- you guys are just kids still," Sophie protested, trying to wrap her mind around what was happening.

"That's no excuse for toying with another's affections," said Kelse.

"So how did he take it?" Dex asked.

"Wait a second," Sophie interposed. "Start from the beginning."

"I felt it was unfair to lead Keefe on in any way, even accidentally," Kelse explained. "Since I knew I only love him as a brother, and am feeling non-platonic love for someone else, it was important to let him know where we stood. Actually, he took it really calmly, but he seemed shocked and taken off guard. That's probably why he stayed behind today."

Sophie tried to take in the implications of that. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if _she_ was toying with anyone's affections.

Kelse must have sensed what she was thinking. "It was the right thing to do," she said. "It's never right to lead someone on when you know your heart belongs to someone else."

"I don't know…" Sophie began, but stopped. Because she had a pretty good idea what her choice would be, if it were all up to her.

"Honestly, Sophie," said Dex, "it was really hard letting go of my crush on you and accepting you as family." Sophie blushed hard at that. Had Fitz been right all this time? "But in the end, letting go of that allowed me to get close to you in a way I never could have while holding on to it. I love you, Sophie. You're the best thing that's happened to me since you joined my family. Letting my crush on you go was the hardest thing I've ever done, but it was the best decision of my life as far as you and I are concerned. Plus, it opened my eyes to other feelings." He peeked at Kelse with a smile.

"Same with me and Keefe," Kelse put in. "Although he's been like a brother to me for most of our time together. We've had, in many ways, a very similar experience, so that really helps the sibling feel, but I know his feelings had gone… a little farther. I just felt that going there would diminish what we already had. Also, it's unfair to the others involved to leave them hanging. Most importantly, it's nor fair to myself - _yourself_."

Sophie felt like the world was spiraling down inside of her. Was she being unfair to Fitz and Keefe by not dealing with her feelings? Or to herself? But what if one of them didn't like her that way? If she came clean to one and they rejected her, she'd always have the other… Realizing where her thoughts had gone, she felt a pang of shame. It was wrong to use human beings - no, elves - as a safety net.

Kelse reached across Dex to take Sophie's hand. "I know you'll make the right choice when the time comes, Sophie," she said, "and I'm not saying you have to choose now. It was the right time for us, but everyone's different. You'll know when you're ready, and in the meantime, don't push it."

She smiled, and Sophie halfheartedly returned the expression, but her stomach was tying in knots.

Ready or not, it was time to choose.

* * *

Laying in bed, Sophie was less than comfortable. It wasn't the mattress, which was as soft as ever, or the toasty blankets, or the faint starlight peeking through the window. No, her discomfiture came from her mind replaying the conversation she'd had that afternoon. Sleep was the last thing on her mind, but that was normal these days. Finally, she couldn't deal with it any longer. Steeling her nerves, she opened her mind.

 _Fitz?_

There was a long pause. Then, a sleepy voice responded.

 _Sophie? What's wrong?_

 _Oh, nothing. I'm sorry, did I wake you?_ Sophie felt her blush color her thoughts as they settled into each others' minds.

 _No, I wasn't quite asleep yet. Sophie, something's obviously wrong. Please tell me, and don't prance around the Pure._

The way he said her name made her stomach go to jelly. Now that she was on the verge of telling him the one secret she'd guarded better than any other, she felt fear and dread pulling her down in a spiral. What if he didn't feel the same way?

 _There's something I've been keeping from you for a long time, but something happened to get me thinking, and I can't hide it any longer. It's going to continue getting in the way of our cognate training otherwise, if telling you doesn't make it worse._

Sophie felt Fitz's interest pique, all sleep gone from his mind, excitement rising. _Sophie, that's excellent progress!_ he cried. And there her stomach went again.

There was no more stalling, no more avoiding. Shaking from head to toe, she clenched her fists, trying to get it out. She felt Fitz's concern as he noticed how upset she was, but he waited, mercifully quiet.

 _From the first time I saw you, I've had a crush on you. At first, it was just superficial, and I thought it was silly. But it wouldn't go away, wouldn't fade. Then, things started happening, and you were always there for me, and at some point I started to really like you. The longer I've known you, the deeper my feelings have grown and now… I'm in love with you, Fitz Vacker. I can't hold it in any longer. I know this is the end of our being cognates, the end of our being friends, the end of everything…_

 _Sophie._

She'd been rambling, she knew it, her words going faster and faster, but once the floodgates were open she was powerless to shut them again. At the single, quiet, even… tender? word though, she stopped. She held her breath, trying to brace herself for the rejection she was sure was coming.

 _Sophie I… I don't know what to say,_ he managed, his mental voice thick.

 _You hate me, don't you,_ Sophie choked.

 _No!_ he gasped quickly, then steadied his thoughts resolutely. _No, it's just that… I love you, too._

Utter silence reigned between them for a long minute. Sophie's mind spun, trying to replay the words. Surely she'd imagined them?

 _It's true,_ he said, reminding her he could see her thoughts. _It took me a while to realize it, and then I was afraid to say anything because of how badly I treated you._

 _You've never treated me badly!_ Sophie protested.

 _I've been so patronizing._ He sounded miserable.

 _No you h…_ but Sophie trailed off mid-objection as Fitz's mind replayed instances spanning her time in the Lost Cities. Seeing them unclouded by her own prejudiced feelings, she realized he _had_ been patronizing.

 _It was just that I'd never met a girl quite like you, never had feelings for someone like that. The extent of my experience with crushes had been trying to avoid girls who threw themselves at me. I didn't know_ how _to treat you…_

 _It's ok, Fitz._ Even without her memories fogged by her emotions, the way she felt hadn't changed. _I'm just glad you don't hate me._

 _And I'm glad_ you _don't hate_ me _._

They smiled together, both enjoying the feeling of total harmony that had spread over them like a solacing blanket; and suddenly, Sophie felt more comfortable and cozy than she had in ages. Snuggling down in her bed, she fell into a deep, restful sleep.

* * *

That night, Sophie's dreams were permeated with visions of a breathtakingly gorgeous girl with blond hair and brown eyes. The girl seemed so brave, so untouchable, and there was something about Alicorns mixed in there, which just made the whole thing more romantic. It wasn't until Sophie started to wake up that she wondered where all that was coming from. Then, another consciousness began to stir awake in her mind, and she panicked as realization dawned. She and Fitz had fallen asleep while still connected. She'd been _dreaming his dreams_ … did that mean he'd been dreaming _hers_?

A moment later, Fitz also seemed to register what had happened, and both minds went fractal with embarrassment. Sophie yanked free as fast as she could.

Even though no one else knew what had happened, it was impossible to act normally. After enduring a snide remark from Vertina, hovering concern from Edaline, and teasing from Grady, she found herself thanking her lucky stars for the first time that Keefe would not be waiting for her at Foxfire. The others were bad enough, because after an awkward lunch even Biana, who was still a little out of it, couldn't help noticing how much out of their way Sophie and Fitz were going to avoid each other.

Sophie begged Master Cadence to let her stay in the silver tower for Study Hall. The woman wasn't going to agree, but Wylie came to Sophie's rescue, persuading the crabby beacon and taking the flustered girl under his wing.

It was worse when they went to Alluveterre. Keefe had come with Kelse, and they both saw right away that something was up. Only Danny's incredible penchant for disaster kept them from probing, although Kelse seemed to figure it out, and gave Sophie a few sappy grins.

By the time night came again, Sophie was as tight as a bowstring. With a sigh of resignation, she opened her mind to Fitz's once more.

 _Fitz? We need to talk about what happened._

 _Yeah, we do,_ Fitz agreed. _We didn't handle it so well today. I'm sorry that happened, but I'm not sorry we finally talked about how we feel._

 _I'm not sorry about that part either,_ Sophie admitted. _And actually, I did sleep through the whole night without nightmares, which I haven't been able to do for months._

 _Me too._ There was a pause. Then, _if it helps you sleep, I guess I wouldn't mind doing it again,_ Fitz tried, treading carefully.

 _If it helps_ you _sleep, I don't suppose I'd mind, either,_ Sophie whispered, her mental voice as small as an imps.

Another pause followed, this one a little more daring, as if their thoughts were syncing at last. Which they were, in a way- Sophie almost knew what Fitz was going to say before he said it. Not that that stopped her from being very surprised.

 _Sophie, I know this is all very new to us, but… what I mean to say is… that is- we obviously have both felt this way for a while, so, considering that, do you- would you like to be… together?_

 _You mean… a_ couple _? Like Kelse and Dex? Like, boyfriend and girlfriend?_

 _Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves,_ Fitz balked.

 _Definitely, of course not,_ Sophie agreed, a little relieved.

 _But if we ever wanted to go on to that, someday…_

 _We totally still could. Someday._

They smiled into their respective rooms, feeling warm and happy and completed, and as they fell asleep, their minds drifted into a safe haven free of terrors or nightmares.


	28. Chapter 27

**Today's the day, the sun is shining, the tank is clean... ok, nevermind, you get it. I'm supposed to be at work, but having a relapse so I'm on here instead :l  
Now for the contents of the note this is replacing:**

 **Thank you to ProjectMoonlark101 and Sophitz 20 for following!**

 **Thank you to 57349, Sophitz 20, TEAM SOPHIE, and ProjectMoonlark101 for favoriting!**

 **And to ProjectMoonlark101 for Following and Favoriting my account!**

 **And if anyone else did while I was't paying attention, my eternal apologies!**

 **And to Smiles, for the *virtual* faves and follows ;)**

 **Also, can anyone advise me on how to upload a new picture? Every time I try, (and i used two different formats) they say something about the file being x-empty, or something. Support never answered my email... Ugh! ! ! ! !**

 **To reviews:**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan: Glad you liked it! While I would love, of course, a heartwarming review, I don't want you to start steaming! 97? ! yikes! I keep forgetting it's summer there. And I'm glad to see you back!**

 **Smiles: Yayay! Another epistle! You really loved it that much? Wow, I'm so happy! ! ! I just wanted it to be perfect, and if it came out ok, then YES!  
It's ok, this was the first account of this sort I had. No social media or anything. I actually didn't get a cell phone (not even a smartphone) or email until I was 11, and only then because there were extenuating circumstances that involved me possibly not being in earshot of a parent... (yeah, homeschooled + only child = really sheltered) and even though I have a tablet and computer now, it took a long time, and I still have the same "dumbphone" and love it. It really depends on the family how much tech you have. Unless you're Dex, that is.**

 **Are y'all ready for this? !**

* * *

Chapter 27

Keefe had learned that panicked running is pretty much never a sign of a peaceful afternoon to come when you're dealing with a rebel organization. So when Kelse dashed through the door gasping for air, he felt safe in assuming there was trouble.

"We have to get out of here, now," she puffed, tossing him a cape. "No time to explain. Switch the proximity monitor on your cuff. Hurry!"

Keefe barely had time to flip the switch before Kelse yanked him out the door, twisting her Mysterium crystal and leaping them away.

"What's. Going. On?" Keefe demanded as they glittered into the bustling afternoon traffic.

The look in Kelse's eyes was frantic.

"The Lodestar Initiative. I know what it is."

That was enough to shock Keefe into silence. He tried to process the information as Kelse shouted at her watch in Russian. He recognized the words 'Beth Freeman.' The watch beeped in reply.

"What did you say to her?" he asked.

"I said 'Meet me at Slurps and Burps, bring the others, urgent.' Delete the last sent message." The last bit was directed at the watch, but it didn't oblige.

"Oh, for goodness…" She repeated the phrase in Russian, and the watch obeyed.

They ran, dodging startled elves and getting a few strange looks. When they arrived in front of the quirky store, Keefe waited tensely outside while Kelse peeked in.

"It's ok, just Dex. Kessler's gone."

They went inside. Dex's face lit when he saw them enter, but his grin quickly faded in alarm.

"Kelse, Keefe, what are you guys doing here, without disguises or anything?" He vaulted over the counter and gave Kelse a side hug.

"We have these," observed Keefe, fluffing the short hooded cape Kelse had tossed him at the dugout, and motioning to her matching one. Both capes were a pale cranberry that completely clashed with Kelse's coloring - not that Keefe spent a lot of time studying her complexion or anything.

"Wait until the others come," Kelse managed, still panting. "This kind of news bears telling only once."

That was less than encouraging. Keefe and Dex exchanged a look.

Sophie burst in the door, the others on her tail.

"What's wrong?" she shouted.

"Not here," Kelse said. "It isn't safe. We need to go to Alluveterre."

* * *

Ten minutes later they were gathered around the boys' common room at Alluveterre. Kelse sat on the couch holding Danny in her lap, by turns tickling, bouncing, and cuddling fiercely. Dex sat beside her, reaching over now and then to poke Danny's ear or nose or tummy. Danny had run to tackle first Kelse, then Dex as soon as they materialized, and had refused to be separated from his two favorite people since, leaving Keefe to sit on the floor across the room, staring at Kelse. The others were ranged about the room, sitting in beanbag chairs or on the floor. Mr. Forkle, whom Sophie had called, was standing in front of the fireplace, looking especially worried.

"You're sure about this? You've really discovered the Lodestar Initiative?" he asked, eyebrows puckered. (or at least, they looked slightly more wrinkly than usual)

"Absolutely." Kelse's visible eye was red, and the way she was manhandling Danny was extremely protective. She was hiding it well, but Keefe knew her too well to not see the raw hurt and panic. He wished he was sitting beside her, comforting her.

"I was in my room. My father didn't realize that I could hear him. He and Fintan were talking, and I couldn't help but listen in when I realized they were talking about-" her voice broke- "me and Keefe. I haven't forgotten a single word.

'Are you sure they're ready? They're still adjusting,' my father was saying.

'Are you questioning me? Or are you saying you failed in some way on your end?' That was Fintan. I could tell by the dancing shadows that he'd summoned a flame, and he sounded so threatening. Now, my dad's pretty tough. He's not afraid to get in Fintan's face, but he sounded a little nervous when he answered.

'Of course not.' He was about to say more, but Fintan cut him off with 'It is time to set the others on their paths. If all adapt as well as the Sencen boy did, we should be ready within three weeks.'

'But he had Kelse,' said my father.

'And the others will have both her and the boy, as well as each other.' Fintan's voice was scarily intense but it was even more terrifying to hear him begin to chuckle. Then he said 'Ah, the beauty of that relationship. It progressed faster than we could have hoped. Your daughter finally did something worth her keep. I knew they would get along eventually, but they grew so close, so fast. They have significantly moved up the timeline.'

"I know my father must have been glowing with praise, but I could hardly listen to any more." Kelse was on the verge of sobbing. Keefe felt as if he were being punched in slow motion, although he wasn't sure exactly why. He hardly noticed when Dex took Kelse's hand.

"I was reminded of something my father says," Kelse continued after a moment. "I've heard him say it a hundred times, but it never really made sense until I heard that conversation, as if the truth was hiding in my mind, waiting for the right moment to come out."

Keefe knew that feeling, and it made him sick to think of Kelse's mind being messed up like his had been.

"It is," she was saying, "'The true, pure reflection of any society is it's youth.'"

Mr. Forkle turned very, very pale. "No, in the name of anything that is good, please _no_ ," he whispered.

"What? What is it," gasped Biana, her hushed voice full of panic.

"Just as the Lodestar mirror reflects pure light, the Lodestar Initiative is a movement to control the pure hearts of the future. Children, like Keefe and I, brought up to be something… _else._ " Kelse's voice trembled. "Everything that's happened, even you and me, Keefe, it was all planned by the Neverseen. We were _supposed_ to be friends. Perhaps even manipulated." She glanced at him for an agonized second, then looked away, chest heaving, fingers white around Danny, who sensed the seriousness of the situation enough to cling tightly to his cousin. At least Kelse had him, Keefe thought. _He_ had no one. Once more, he was completely alone in the world. Once again, he was the one coming up with the short end of the pathfinder. The room seemed to spin around him.

"Did you get any more details?" Mr. Forkle's voice pulled Keefe back.

"Yes," Kelse continued. "Someone rushed in and called them away, so I sneaked out and found the papers describing the Initiative. I couldn't take them all, but this is the idea: the Neverseen has planted operatives in Foxfire and Exillium, and has been influencing children in very subtle ways. Mostly, the operatives were students at Exillium, and Mentors at Foxfire, although there one operative made it all the way to Principle."

"Alina," growled Mr. Forkle darkly. "I should have known. And now she's on the Council."

"Yes. The Neverseen have always coveted a place on the Council, the ultimate place of influence. I imagine you were hoping the same, though."

"I admit it was exciting hearing some of the names in contention, after-" he stopped abruptly and cleared his throat. "But it was never part of our plan. I can't help but wonder if the whole incident was a massive assassination plot to tip the Council in their favor."

"It _was_ right after Alina joined that the Council declared full war on the Black Swan," remembered Sophie. Her hand darted to the place where her circlet had been. Dex turned green.

"I also found a note from Lady Giesla proclaiming the foolproof nature of the Initiative. She claimed that even if something were to happen to her, that would only speed Keefe's 'hegira' to their side."

Lady Giesla _had_ taken to using flowery words, influenced by her pompous husband. Now, Keefe knew he wouldn't be able to keep breathing much longer. Had they deliberately made her suffer and let the information leak out so that their timeline would be boosted?

"The key to the plan, though," Kelse said, pulling them back to the original topic, "is individual members' children, brought up innocently, with their true purposes planted in their minds, then hidden away to be triggered when the time is right. Keefe was the first, but there are many more." She pulled out a list from her pocket, and handed it to the old elf across the room. He read it, frowning. His gaze darted to the Song twins, then to Sophie before returning to the paper.

"This is serious, but the knowledge is invaluable," he said. "You've given us much warning, if not a chance." He handed the paper to Sophie, who read it, Fitz reading over her shoulder. He, Keefe had noticed, had sat down on the floor beside Sophie's beanbag upon entering the room, arm possessively it as if he wanted to protect her from the others in the complex.

"Oh," Sophie whispered once, glancing up at Tam and Linh, then fell silent. She and Fitz were clearly discussing it telepathically, though.

Keefe looked up at Kelse, pleading. She couldn't meet his eyes, but when Sophie finished, she said "could you let Keefe see it please, Sophie?"

Keefe took the paper from Sophie, his hand trembling. Scanning the list, he saw a dozen family names, all of which had at least one member in the Neverseen. Near the bottom of the list, he saw a name he recognized.

 ** _Redek_**

But below it was an even bigger shock.

 ** _Song_**

The word reverberated in his mind. He couldn't even have one thing to himself, one thing Tam didn't also have to deal with, even if it was an evil parent. And Tam _was_ dealing. He hadn't run away, abandoned his friends and sister. Suddenly, everything Kelse had said came crashing down on Keefe. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

"Ok, I think I've shown uncharacteristic patience," said Tam. Linh was clinging to him, clearly frightened. "Why does everyone keep looking at us?"

"Keefe," Fitz said gently, "I think it's time to let Tam and Linh see."

But Keefe couldn't respond. Ringing filled his ears. He dropped the paper, staring at it uncomprehendingly, then jumped up suddenly, needing air, and dashed out the door.


	29. Chapter 28

**Here it is, dear readers, a day late but you'll have to excuse me.** **Apparently, I have some weird version of the flu, so not getting better yet... _Aauughh! !_**

 **A brief editorial comment about the last chapter: I imagined a slight time jump before it. I don't know if it was a week, or two, or whatever, but it didn't flow to write it in, so it's up to your discretion what that means. The only thing of consequence is that I imagined Sophie and Fitz being in a deeper relationship than where I left them when I wrote that chapter. (yup, that chapter was done months ago. Getting to it was the trick...)**

 **Random side note: My Mom used the word 'Tangential' in normal conversation today. Now, I consider myself a huge word buff, (a walking thesaurus, sometimes) but that threw me for a total loop. Good** **grief.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Smiles: You need to be an ****author on here! ! Oh stars above, that was really good! If you someday decide to get an account, let us know! My evil authoress inside is cackling with pure glee at the turmoil she's caused you... XD XD XD**

 **booksaremylife: Yeah, I thought that was more realistic than English, since she grew up in Siberia. (even though she does speak English) Plus, Apple may have an impressive database of languages, and be available in many countries, but we can be fairly certain they don't know the Enlightened Language... I will not give any hints about who may or may not survive, but I agree Alina's evil beyond redemption, and don't worry, Sophitz is 100% a part of this story!**

 **Friendly reminder that this chapter may have a mild but present triggering moment. Please don't worry about it, but use discretion. Sorry it's so short, but hopefully what it lacks in length it will make up for in feels...  
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !**

* * *

Chapter 28

"Keefe!" Kelse shouted weakly, but she didn't move. She looked so miserable herself, clutching Danny desperately, and shrinking back as if she were trying to get the couch to swallow her.

Sophie got to her feet, knowing Keefe shouldn't be left alone. As she took a step, she felt Fitz touch her arm with telekinesis. She felt the worry clouding his mind, for both her and Keefe, but she had to go. She transmitted the feeling of a sad smile and headed for the door. When she closed it behind her, she caught a glimpse of Tam bending down to pick up the paper.

Keefe was standing over the water, shaking silently in the dark, shrouded in his ridiculous pinkish hooded cape as if he wanted it to turn into a Neverseen cloak and make him vanish forever. Sophie stepped beside him, and the moon peeked between the thick clouds just for a moment to make his face glisten with falling tears.

"Hey," whispered Sophie. "Please talk to me, Keefe"

It was a long moment before Keefe answered.

"I don't know who to trust anymore, Sophie," he whispered at last. "Kelse was the last friend I had, my last hope at ever belonging anywhere. But we were manipulated into friendship just like every other part of my life was manipulated. I'm just their little puppet." He turned his face away.

 _Their little puppet…_ those words brought back too many memories.

"Keefe-" Sophie put her hand on his arm.

"No!" He flinched away from her, curling his hand into a fist. "Don't you see? I'm not helping you! I never was. The only thing I exist for is to serve them. The best service I could ever do for you-" he glanced down the cliff, the shimmering water below reflecting off his face. "-is jump," he whispered.

"You can't!" Panic closed over Sophie's heart. "Keefe, you'd be letting them control you more than ever! Live! Show them you can beat them! Please, _please_ don't do this! You have to get through this. _For me._ You're my friend; I trust you, and I'm here for you." She grabbed both his arms and stared into his face, trying to get him to look at her.

"Are you really?" Keefe's voice was like a ghost's in the night. The resigned sadness in it knocked her back, and when he turned his eyes to hers, she gasped aloud at the emotions brimming in them. "I loved you, you know. I still do. I thought I was over it, but seeing you again brought it all back. But you made your choice, and I understand. Really, I know that was the best thing for you."

"I didn't-"

"I'm not blind, Sophie. And I'm happy for you. I just… It never could have worked between us, anyway. I just wish…" He stepped away, going back to the edge.

"I-I'm sorry Keefe. I wish I had seen it."

"I don't want you to regret your choice."

"I don't really, but if- I'm still your friend, you know. You can't get rid of me that easily. I care very much what happens to you. Just because I've chosen to have a different kind of relationship with Fitz don't mean I don't have room for anyone else. I want to be there for you, and I always will be, just _please_ don't kill yourself. Please promise me that you won't." Her voice had dropped to a whisper by the end.

Keefe didn't move or speak for so long, Sophie was all ready to inflict on him and tackle him away from the cliff, but then he sighed.

"Please don't inflict on me, Sophie. I won't do it tonight, I promise. I just need some time to myself." He looked up at her, his face seeming older than she had ever seen it. "Thanks for trying, for how much you care. You'll never know how much that means. How much it's always meant."

"We'll figure it out, together," Sophie managed, her voice catching on the sobs in her throat. "Just like old times. I remember a certain friend who wouldn't let me go through something very like this alone."

A smile flitted for an instant over Keefe's face. "Yeah. But I'm not like you, Sophie. You had a choice in the end. I don't."

Sophie felt as if the world were falling down around her.

"There's always a choice," she whispered hoarsely.

"I wish that were true."

When he left, she didn't even remember how he'd gotten away.


	30. Chapter 29

**Not much to say here, cuz CHAPTER 28 IS HERE- just go back one. This is chapter 29, and if you've missed any, please read back, as this is the big huge ****turning point of the story. Review answers are before 28**

 **In case you elected not to read 28 due to my warning, here is the Very Brief version.**

 _~Upon reading the scroll and running outside, Keefe feels lost and in despair. He is understandably upset. Sophie goes out to check on him, and finds him contemplating a foolish action in response to the news. She tries to talk him out of it, and in the course of the conversation, it comes out that he'd been in love with her, but knows she's chosen Fitz instead. Sophie insists they can still be friends, and at length, Keefe agrees to live at least tonight, but will not stay. He departs for regions unknown, (also unknown is how he hopes to get there) and leaves Sophie in shock._

* * *

Chapter 29

After Tam and Linh had been dragged off by Mr. Forkle, the Shade having gone apoplectic and the girl having fainted, Kelse still sat, twisting Danny's shirt and feeling a horrible sinking, pulling sensation inside. Her world had never been perfect, but she'd thought she could reclaim some of it. Now she knew the truth. She'd never really escaped their grasp. They were just playing her like a fiddle.

"Hey," Dex whispered, his voice a little husky. He lay his hand on her arm and squeezed gently. "I know this feels like it changes everything, but you can't let it break you. They're counting on you being in such despair, you just come back to them in defeat, for them to use you as they want. You can't let that happen."

"But what do I have?" Kelse could feel the raggedness of her voice, choked by tears. "I wouldn't be surprised if they even manipulated the situation with Danny to their own benefit in some way I can't see yet. Name one thing I have that they haven't been a part of!" She was really about to cry now, and she hated herself for it. She'd trained herself not to cry, like a barrier keeping her sanity alive by separating it a little from reality, and she didn't like when her control slipped.

"Us." Dex's voice was so soft, so gentle, that it took a moment to settle over her. She froze, unbreathing, listening.

"The Neverseen couldn't have planned for you and I to know each other. They could never have imagined that we would be so close. They couldn't possibly have dictated what we have. _You and I_ , we are outside their realm of influence. _You and I_ are unique and special. _You_ are safe, as long as you're with _me_."

Danny had fallen asleep in Kelse's lap, sucking his thumb. Dex was looking into her face with pleading, and something else… A protective, determined gaze beamed from his eyes. The last bit of protective wall washed away from Kelse's mind, and she began to cry, real, wet tears. But it didn't seem as hopeless as it had a moment before. And Dex took her in his arms and held her just tight enough so that she knew he would never let her go.

* * *

Keefe was gone. Kelse was spending the nights at Alluveterre, but when she finally got up the courage to head to the dugout to check on him, he wasn't there. When he hadn't shown up after two days, she started to get really worried.

"Dex, what if something happened to him? It's my fault, in a way," she fretted.

"It's _not_. Don't let yourself feel guilty." They were sitting on the bridge. Dex had one leg dangling, the other up, and he had his arm across his knee. He'd gradually taken to sitting in a much more typically masculine way since he and Kelse got together, as opposed to the shy, closed way he'd had before. It warmed the girl's heart to know it was for her he'd come out of his shell and into himself.

"I'm not fully elf, so we don't even know if guilt would break me," she observed. "Besides, it's mostly worry more than guilt." She knew what had to be done, but she was trembling inside at the thought of doing it. Taking a deep breath, she said "I need to go to the base."

Dex spun his head, eyes filled with alarm. "Why?"

"What if they have him? The only reason he survived the last Telepathic probe was because I was there. If they caught him, he could be giving them vital information, or dying! I'm the only one who can go in there with any hope of safety. Maybe they don't even know what's going on yet."

"Oh, sure," growled Dex. "Their two prizes, the catalyst of their entire initiative, just vanish off the face of the map for two days, but I'm sure they have more important things to worry about."

Kelse sighed weakly. "I know you're right, Dex, but you know I'm right, too."

Dex clenched his fists. "At least," he said after a long silence, "let Sophie and I help you come up with a plan, in case you get caught."

* * *

Kelse shook inwardly with nerves as she crept along the walls of the Neverseen base. She kept her outward appearance aloof and unemotional, but her senses were on high alert. There had been no sign of Keefe, or anyone else, for that matter, so far, and she'd combed the entire west wing. It was odd, strange, and frightening, as if it had changed, even though she'd been here - lived here - only three days ago. As she turned to the east wing - all but forbidden to her, except on special occasions - she hoped she wouldn't find a torture session behind one of the cold doors.

She wasn't sure how it happened. Ruy and Brant were in one of the rooms, and somehow they heard her. The next thing she knew, they'd descended on her. Ruy was holding her tightly while Brant hovered, eyes glittering, creepy smile etched across his hideous face.

"Well, well, well," he hissed. "Look who found their way home. Lose your way, did you? Your Father will be so relieved to know we've found you."

"I'll bet," Kelse gasped. She clawed at Ruy's hands, gripping her so tightly she could feel the bruises forming. "He's never minded when I've done as a please before."

"Oh, but this time it's different," Ruy growled in her ear. "Because your _friend_ is missing, too."

Kelse forced down the giddy relief she was feeling. They didn't know where Keefe was yet, but _she_ was still in trouble. "Keefe's missing?" she asked, feigning concern. It wasn't hard- she still didn't know where he was.

"Don't give me that," snapped Brant, his hand sparking. Kelse flinched. "We know you must have something to do with it. You haven't spent a day apart in weeks."

"I haven't seen him in two- no three days," Kelse whimpered, not having to fake the raw fear in her voice now. "Ask any empath, I'm not lying!"

"But you're not telling the truth, either," Ruy snarled. He tightened his grip. Tears of pain sprung to Kelse's eyes.

"Maybe her memory is a little cold," Brant said. "Perhaps she needs a little warming up." His hand began to blaze.

It wasn't even a conscious decision. Kelse's hands were still on Ruy's, and she snapped into self defense mode. Ruy's power coursed through her mind. Just as Brant's hand lashed toward her, a force field popped up around her. Brant's face went slack with pain and surprise. Both men stared at her.

"Ruy?" Brant whispered.

"That… wasn't me…" Ruy's voice was strained with shock.

As they gawked at her, Kelse felt like she was sinking, her insides slowly imploding. She only hoped she would collapse into herself completely before they recovered.


	31. Chapter 30

**I'm Back! I know it's been a month, and I'm so sorry! I've been super busy, and I couldn't get this chapter! This was the hardest chapter so far to write, since I cAN'T WRITE ACTION! ! ! and honestly, if I was going to give up on the story, this would have been the time. I finally got it done, but I really need some encouragement, guys. So if it doesn't totally stink, would you consider shooting me a quick** **review? Thanks! It's vacation this week, so while I won't be able to check every day, I will definitely be reading and reviewing some of y'all's stories as I can.**

 **Reviews:  
**

 **Booksaremylife: Aww, thank you! I really try, and I feel each scene deeply, especially the really emotional ****ones. I'm glad it shows!**

 **Smiles: I HAVE A SHIP NAME FOR MY OC? ? ! ! ! WHAT IN THE ok, but really that like made my day/week! I feel so important!  
Yes, in one way it's cool that Kelse finally defended herself the way she always wanted to, but she's also given herself up, told them her well guarded secret, and put herself in great danger. So, yeah.  
That Keefe scene just kinda happened. It naturally seemed to follow the revelation, and I can't blame him. I mean, the world just got yanked out from under his feet for the last and biggest time, (well, so far) and that would probably drive me to the edge. (in more ways than one...)  
** **No, I haven't read that series, but I'm always looking for a new book/series to get in to, if I can ever find the time:)**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan: So good to have you back! I've been gone just as long, so welcome back together! Glad you're getting used to school, and sorry about your computer! Viruses stink. You have no idea what a help it was getting a late review, and the hug made me feel so much better 3 (-supposed to be a heart, but it won't do that)**

 **So here you are, thirty chapters! Wow. And if you notice it's a lot like a certain scene in _Return of the Jedi_ , I'm sorry! I just can't write action! and it seemed like the right template to borrow...**

* * *

Chapter 30

 _Dex, wake up._

The voice cut through the boy's mind, snapping him awake. It was Sophie, but she wasn't there. He glanced around his room in Alluveterre, squinting in the darkness.

 _Sophie?_ He thought tentatively.

 _I've lost the connection with Kelse. Come to the pavilion right away._

Dex crept out of his room, staying as silent as he could and avoiding the shadows collected around Tam's door. It was creepy the way they seemed to be drawn to him, like steel to a magnet. At the pavilion, Sophie was pacing, looking worried.

"What do you mean you lost the connection?" Dex demanded. The plan they had decided on involved Sophie camping out in a small part of Kelse's mind. She wasn't exactly reading it, just aware of what was going on, almost subconsciously. She'd been able to see the way to the base, and they'd hoped she could see if Kelse found Keefe. But Kelse had never found Keefe.

"She could have disconnected because they were probing her," Sophie whimpered defensively, "but I don't know… she accidentally gave herself up."

"She _accidentally_ …?"

"I mean, she Borrowed Ruy's power without meaning to. It's always been a power she wished for; it was just second nature. But now they know she's hiding something."

Dex paced, his steps heavy and angry. How could Sophie have let this happen. How could Kelse? How could _he._ It was himself he was really mad at. He'd promised to be there for Kelse, then let her go alone to - arguably - the most dangerous place in the world. What had he been thinking?

"Stop, Dex. It's not your fault. We knew this might happen," Sophie said gently.

"Yes, we did," Dex shot. "And I let her go anyway. So it _is_ my fault."

"You don't own her," Sophie demurred. "It was her own choice, and she made it. Let's just concentrate on rescuing her."

* * *

The plan was insane. Dex knew it somewhere in the back of his mind, but he didn't care. The pain in his head and heart was growing by the minute, hampering his ability to think rationally. And breathe. And forget eating; the one bite of food he'd forced down had come right back up again. As he stood at the edge of the cliffs at Havenfield, though, clasping Sophie's hand as if it were his lifeline, his thoughts and pulse slowed just a tad.

"You ok?" Sophie's voice was so quiet and gentle, her hand holding his tightly.

"This is where it all really started for me," Dex said, surprised at how husky his voice sounded, "and now, here we are again, taking the whole thing to the next level. I can't help but wonder if this, the first place I met the Neverseen, is the gateway to the last place I'll meet them, too."

Sophie squeezed his hand harder. "I know how you feel, Dex," she began.

"I'm not having second thoughts," Dex put in quickly. "I will gladly give my life to save Kelse. But I'm not willing to give _your_ life for anything."

"Dex, we are family. And family is there for each other. I'm not about to let myself die, and I'm not about to let you die, either. We're going to go in there, save Kelse, and get out again. You'll see."

They reached for each other at the same moment, hugging as hard as they could. Then Sophie stepped toward the cliff, and they jumped.

* * *

"Not exactly cozy," Dex whispered as they stared at the looming base before them. A clearing separated their tree cover from the building.

"Sturdy, though" Sophie pointed out. "How do we get in?"

"Keep watch for me," Dex said. "There's an access panel to the side of the door there."

"Be careful," Sophie cautioned. "It's probably Technopath-proof."

"Good thing I'm not just _any_ Technopath, then." Dex smirked. He wrapped his free hand around the 'Dex-ified' obscurer in his pocket. It was still working, but he kept his eyes sharp. Hand in hand, the cousins slipped toward the door. Sophie stationed herself against the outer corner of the jamb, and Dex ducked behind her, laying his fingers on the panel. The mechanism was complex, and each time he thought he'd found the solution to the puzzling lock, he sensed a trap and had to pull back.

"Dex," Sophie hissed after about five minutes, "I sense someone coming, are you any closer to getting in?"

Dex glanced up to see Sophie standing with her eyes closed, and a slight frown creasing her forehead. She must have been reaching for nearby minds.

"Not sure yet," he sighed. "Lots of little tricks. I'd really like to learn this Technopath's secrets. First Kelse's watch, now this? He's brilliant!"

"And a member of the _Neverseen_ , Dex," Sophie said, her voice unreadable. "He's not a good guy."

"I know." Dex scowled. "But I'm beginning to wonder if Tam's right about Foxfire. I mean, Lady Iskra is great, but she's literally the only Technopath mentor I haven't surpassed. What happens when she's taught me everything she can?"

"Tiergan is pretty much feeling his way through Fitz and I's Telepathy sessions," said Sophie, "but I wouldn't want another Mentor for the world. We are improving, we _are_ learning, even though we are the two most powerful Telepaths in elvin history. No one has learned it all, even when they pass their teachers." Her frown deepened. "Dex, there are definitely three people coming now."

"Got it!" Dex cried. A spark burst against one of his fingers. "Ouch! Hang on, I almost had it."

"Hey!" a voice shouted from the edge of the clearing. "What are you doing?"

Beside him, Dex felt Sophie start to tremble. "Sophie," he said nervously, "Are you sure you can take them out without getting me, too?"

"Bronte's been teaching me to pinpoint my Inflicting," Sophie answered, her voice a mask of concentration. "You should be totally safe."

"Should?"

"Unless you can get us in and lock them out," Sophie pointed out.

 _"_ _I'm trying!"_

Dex pushed his ability farther than he ever had. Usually, he didn't even have to try to get technology to obey his will. He'd never faced a real challenge - until now. All this time, he'd just been coasting, he realized. His ability would be more powerful than anyone could have imagined, if he only knew how to utilize it.

A scream and a muffled thump told him that Sophie had taken out one of the agents. Another let out an undignified squeak, but he and the third were still coming.

The panel, and the workings of the door, yielded. Dex grabbed Sophie and dove inside, trying to cushion her fall with his body, hitting the ground as a melder blast whizzed over their heads. Quickly, he lunged for the keypad on the inside of the doorway and shut the doors. His fingers flew over the buttons faster than the eye could track, inserting and rewriting commands.

"That should keep them out," he said.

"Should?" Sophie groaned, heaving herself up and rubbing her head.

The cousins crept along the walls of the dark hallway. Dex felt lost and claustrophobic just being in the place, but Sophie, who had watched as Kelse searched the base for Keefe, forged ahead confidently. About ten minutes had gone by when a beam appeared in their path, too late to avoid.

"It's a laser!" screamed Sophie. In his pocket, Dex felt the obscurer spark and quit. An alarm began to wail.

"Human technology?" Dex guessed.

"Yes," Sophie agreed, "They're used to sense motion or heat, and often trigger traps, weapons, or alarms." She wrinkled her nose at the nearest alarm. "But how did it sense _us_?"

"Tweaked to sense elvin tech, I'll wager. It took out my obscurer." Dex pulled the ball from his pocket. "Good thing I have a back-up plan." Quickly, he rewired it, turning the sphere into a smoke bomb, and hurled it down the hall. Then, he opened his cape, exposing the dozen cubes attached to his vest.

"Duck," he shouted as five cloaked agents rounded a corner and came running at them. Dex hurled a cube toward them. It sparked and shot bolts of electricity, keeping the enemy at bay. Dex threw a sonic boom cube as hard as he could. "Cover your ears!" he warned Sophie. They huddled down, ears clamped shut as the sonic boom disabled their pursuers. As soon as it was safe, they dashed down the hall in the other direction.

"Do you have more smoke bombs?" Sophie hollered. Even though they'd covered their ears, the cube had been powerful enough to compromise their hearing.

"A few," Dex called. "Why?"

"We can use them to detect and disable the lasers!"

Dex pulled his three smoke cubes from his vest, then sent his senses out. He'd never tried to feel for tech like Sophie felt for minds, never heard of any Technopath doing it, for that matter, but why couldn't it work? Ahead, something made his mind tingle. He threw a cube, and a laser winked through the smoke.

"That's my cuz!" Sophie grinned back at him.

Dex had exposed two more lasers, and was wondering what would happen if he threw an exploding cube at the next one, when footsteps warned them they were about to be cut off. Sophie had her eyes closed, obviously searching for Kelse's mind. Taking a gamble, Dex chucked his exploding cube at the nearest door and dove through the wreckage, pulling Sophie along. He left an electric cube in the hall, guarding their backs. The room was dark and windowless. No way of escaping. Dex swallowed hard.

Three cloaked figures entered the room, walking slowly. They knew they had their prey cornered. One was shorter than the others, and Dex began to feel sick inside.

"Well, well, well," rasped an all-too-familiar voice. "Look, the Moonlark has dropped into our lap." Brant threw back his hood, his horrific face twisted in what must have been a smile. "And her little friend. We meet again. To what do we owe the _pleasure_?" Wicked sarcasm warped his voice.

"We're not here to surrender," Dex said, trying to sound braver than he felt. "We're here for our friend."

Sophie's eyes popped open suddenly, her face grey. "Dex," she whispered.

"You want to rescue your friend?" sneered Brant. "Well, maybe she doesn't want to be rescued!"

The shortest figure threw back it's hood, and Kelse looked at them, her eyes filled with the same insanity as Brant's. Her hand was laid on his stumped arm, and there was danger in her face. Dex's stomach sank.

"Hello, _Dex_ ," Kelse jeered. "It was sweet of you to come, but you see, I don't need rescue. This is where I belong. I realize I was lost before, but that's all behind us now." A spark danced across her free palm. "It was considerate of you to save us the trouble of coming for you. I'm afraid there's no escaping this time."

Dex shot Sophie a panicked look.

 _Her mind has been altered,_ Sophie's voice spoke in his head. _She's been brainwashed into willingly working for them._

He made a tiny gesture, pointing to his head, and thought _can you fix her?_

 _I can try,_ Sophie transmitted back, a little doubtfully. _Keep them talking so they won't notice._

Dex looked at Kelse, but it was too upsetting, so he turned to Brant, which was a whole different kind of upsetting.

"It must be frustrating," he said.

"What do you mean," snapped the Pyrokinetic.

"Well, every time you think you have me and Sophie, we get away. I mean, it's got to make you doubt yourself. Even now, you've got to be wondering if we'll get away again."

"There's no danger of that this time," Brant growled, but the anger in his features showed Dex had hit a chord.

"And you," Dex continued, turning to Kelse, "how can you just abandon Danny like this?"

The borrower hesitated, looking confused. "I…"

"Danny's nothing but a wretched human, and means nothing to her," said Brant, stepping forward to shield the girl from her questioner. "That's enough talk. Kelse?"

Kelse's hand burst into flame, causing Dex to jump back.

"You see, I don't have to get my hand dirty any longer," Brant rasped wickedly. "I'll just have my new prodigy do it for me." He raised his arm, and Kelse stepped forward, her flaming hand outstretched.

"Sophie," hissed Dex. He pulled his last five cubes from his vest, and fingered them, trying to come up with a plan. Sophie was still in a half trance. The third black-cloaked figure was raising his hands, throwing back his hood - it was Ruy. He flicked his hand open, and a charged wall of force was flung toward them. Panicking, because Sophie was too concentrated to notice, Dex jumped in front of her. The force field hit him squarely, tossing him aside and sending a paralyzing shock through his limbs. Dex felt something snap as he landed too hard, and his head hit the cement floor with a resounding clunk.

" _What are you waiting for?_ " Brant screamed at Kelse. "Now!"

A ball of flames shot toward him, and Dex knew no more for several minutes.

When he could be aware again, he saw Kelse, standing in the middle of the room, her hands by her side, a look of complete befuddlement on her face. Sophie was standing in front of her, cautiously reaching out.

"This isn't who you are, Kelse," she was saying. "Look at me - look at Dex!"

Kelse looked, and Dex held her gaze desperately, the pain intensifying it. Sophie touched the Borrower's temple, and Kelse screamed, then her eyes widened.

"Dex!" she cried, her voice shocked and tortured. She ran to him, falling to her knees at his side, and reached for him, sobbing, but hesitated above the ugly wounds. "Dex, I'm so sorry- what have I done?" she choked.

Dex smiled, his heart releasing all the pent up worry, anger, and guilt he'd been holding on to. He clasped her hand, straining to move through the pain. The world was swimming, the room ringing, but Kelse was herself again, and he focused on her, keeping himself conscious. Brant and Ruy were screaming, Sophie was somehow fending them off, and he only had a few seconds, but he couldn't hear what they were saying over the ringing, and he couldn't remember what his plan had been. Suddenly, he felt something hard in his other hand. His cubes! He pressed two of them into Kelse's palm.

"Throw these at the wall," he rasped, the effort almost too much for him. "Together."

"Dex-" she began.

"Just do it."

She squeezed them, then stood and hurled them with all her strength. Pushing past the pain, Dex yanked her down as the wall exploded in a shower of shrapnel, letting in a thick beam of sunlight. Sophie spun as soon as the sharp cloud had cleared, and Dex pressed another cube into Kelse's hand. Sophie ducked as the Borrower lobbed it between Ruy and Brant, sending a storm of electricity through them.

"We've got to leap out of here," Sophie said, pulling out her home crystal.

Dex tried to sit up, but all he could manage was a slight shift before the world began to darken around the edges.

"He's not well enough to leap," Kelse said, her voice seeming to come from far down a tunnel. "It would be too dangerous."

"We can't stay here," Sophie insisted, her voice panicked.

"No, _you_ can't," agreed Kelse, "but it's you they really want. You've got to leave while you still can. I'll stay with Dex."

"I'm not leaving either of you!"

"You don't have a choice!" Kelse had to raise her voice over the background noise. "You can't just think of yourself as an individual. You have a responsibility to protect project Moonlark! I'll take care of Dex. We'll get out of this, I promise!"

Sophie hesitated, first looking at Dex, then up at Brant and Ruy. She gasped, and Dex and Kelse turned. Ruy was using a force field to absorb the electricity. The girls locked eyes.

"Trust me, Sophie," whispered Kelse. They held each other's gaze for a long moment, then heavy acceptance released in Sophie's eyes. She stood and held up her home crystal, taking the two cubes Dex offered.

The force field exploded. Bolts of electricity drove through them. Sophie staggered, but held the path open.

"Go!" shouted Kelse, taking the last cube from Dex.

Sophie glittered away as the men charged. When the last particle had disappeared, Dex nodded, and Kelse took his hand, holding it with all her might as she dropped the sonic boom cube.

The last thing Dex knew was the feeling of her hand in his, clinging even as she collapsed, giving him an anchor to return to as his consciousness floated away.


	32. Chapter 31

**I know, I know, all I seem to do anymore is disappear, then apologize. To try to avoid that, (well, at least the perpetual apologies) I'm going to try to keep to this general outline from now on:  
** **Updates can be expected 2-3 times a month  
** **Comments, reviews, and reads can be expected once a week.**

 **I'm trying to give as I want given to me, but it's really hard to find the time, so one last time, sorry if I don't review you right away. I really do enjoy your stories!**

 **Also, I'm having a beastly hard time with this section of the story...** **:(**

 **Reviews:**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan: _Tee hee hee! ! ! ! ! ! ! !_ And that's all I have to say for myself.**

 **TEAM SOPHIE: I hope you're ok over there... I'm afraid I've kept you in suspenders for a while.**

 **Smiles: Your pep talk really helped me! I read it so many times. I'm still having trouble with the coming chapters, but I'll push on. I can't believe you have that much faith I'm me... *wobbly smile like in Charlie Brown* You are such an encouragement! I so love your reviews! And the poem was... wow. ! REALLY GOOD! I might have an Idea for it, on a burner for a later story... (That's right, another story idea! But I need to take these one at a time here)  
** **And yeah, Fitz probably should have been there. He and Sophie- oops! That would be giving it away! Tisk tisk. You'll get to find out about** **that... but not today!**

 **Exciting news is that we have a new POV! Not so** **great news is that you'll have to wait to find out what happened to Dex and Kelse... and may end up with more to worry about!**

* * *

Chapter 31:

Sophie and Dex were missing. Once upon a time, Biana would have reveled in the commotion. In the beginning, she would have taken a morbid joy in knowing Sophie - and Dex, for that matter - was in trouble. Later, she might have been upset that Sophie hadn't taken her along. Now, though, she lost interest quickly, and found that she had to get away from the mayhem. They were at Havenfield, and Biana wandered until Calla's tree loomed before her. It was there she saw the bedraggled figure beneath. She caught her breath as the silhouette morphed into Keefe's form. Heart pounding, she approached, and tentatively sat next to him. Keefe stirred, glancing sidelong at her before going back to staring into space.

"Biana," he said with a small, sad smile.

"Keefe," whispered Biana, forcing her voice not to squeak. "We've been worried about you. _I've_ been worried about you."

The silence reigned unbroken. Biana no longer had any concept of time, so it seemed that both an eternity and an instant passed. Finally, though, Keefe spoke.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking these past few days," he said, his voice quiet. "A lot of reevaluating my life choices. I've made so many bad ones, it's hard to face. But one regret that keeps coming back to me is the way I treated you."

Biana was paralyzed, unable to stir or speak, hardly able to breathe. Keefe twisted the hem of the dumb faded cranberry cape he was still wearing.

"I always just thought of you as Fitz's little sister. Just a little kid- at least that's what I told myself. But there was always an undercurrent between us, wasn't there? I could have had more consideration for your feelings, but I didn't want to, and-" he choked over the words slightly- "I enjoyed having fun at your expense. I was so mean and thoughtless toward you, Biana, and I'm sorry." He turned suddenly to face her, his face earnest and tortured. "That time I…"

Biana still couldn't speak, but she willed him with her eyes not to finish, and he trailed off.

"Anyway, I was hoping," he managed after a moment of searching her face, "could we start again, just as friends?"

Something was boiling inside Biana, something she no longer had the ability to identify, something outside of her control. It bubbled into wild rage, and burst out of her in a rush.

"So, Keefe Sencen, you want to make up! You were rejected by your first two choices, but maybe the third time will be the charm: well let me tell you something! I don't need you! There are scores of boys who would beg for the chance to have me! _I don't need you!_ "

Biana jumped up and ran, not knowing why or where, barely registering the look of confusion and hurt on Keefe's face. Why had she brushed him off? She just wanted to forgive him, to have him take her in his arms and- No, that was making her worse! She'd wanted him to notice her, to love her, and now that he was willing, she'd put a wall between them again. _Why why why…_

The pain…

When she'd run until she couldn't see him any more, she realized there was a better way to get away. Stopping, she yanked her home crystal into the light and let it sweep her away.

Reaching Everglen, she rang the bell impatiently. The Darkness was coming, and she had to get away. It visited often, since her incident. When she was with Tam, the Darkness seemed to go to him, like flickerwings to splendors, but when she was alone…

A gnome opened the gate, and she darted past, racing up the path, desperate to get away from the horrible Darkness, even though she knew she never outran it. She didn't want it, couldn't take it again!

The _pain…_

She pelted into the house, up the stairs, into her room. It was catching her…

She leaned against her closed door, panting. For half a second, she felt relief. Then, pain striped her vision, and the Darkness engulfed her.

She was vaguely aware that she had fallen, and was sprawled across her soft carpet, before she ceased to be aware at all.


	33. Chapter 32

**I have returned! So, y'all have been busy, and I have a lot of business to take care of before we get to the story, so here goes!**

 **First, for my praying friends, if you could keep my cousin in your prayers, I would really appreciate it. He had to take a dangerous trip to eastern Europe, in part to visit his family home. They lived there for many years, but can't now cuz they're American citizens, and, y'know, Russia. It's not only dangerous, but sad for him, so yeah. Thanks! And I'm happy to take prayer requests in return from anyone who needs the extra support! Luv you guys!**

 **Also, our lone fandom spammer is back, and I've noticed the review count on their story is growing. Please please, these types of people (I've known a couple) thrive on attention, good or bad doesn't matter. The only way to hurt them is to ignore them, which is why I have not read or reviewed, (well, that and the fact that I'm sure it's not appropriate) and beg you to do the same. Report them, but don't speak to them!**

 **Now, the good part:**

 **Huge thanks to swan123 and Glittery-Icecream for favoriting and following my story!  
To Glittery-Icecream and lunalovegood for favoriting me!  
And to lunalovegood for following me!**

 **Yay all of you! ! !**

 **Reviews:**

 **Dust Bunny: Yeah, that just happened:) Also, welcome to fanfic! (I noticed you got a profile since this review)**

 **Smiles: Aww, I thought it was a little cliffhanger-y, anyway :( Oh, for your infectious enthusiasm! The only thing I can say is the annoying "Patience." You'll find out some but not all of the answers (Extremely far from all) in this chapter!  
Also, wow, you made quite a profound statement there, and yikes that's a lot of responsibility you've given me, but I hope to live up to it. I just want to make people better!**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan: OOOH murder by fanfic! that's new, and definitely a story idea! For more life-threatening chapters, please continue to read this story! (shameless promo insert, lol)**

 **TEAM SOPHIE: Well, it's really complicated...  
but in case some of you were wondering what's going on, I imagine Biana as having developed a huge psychological and emotional disorder, which will hopefully get explained more later, but it's super serious, guys. And we've seen how it's changed her behavior, such as in chapter 25, and now how it gets worse whenever she sees (or thinks about) Keefe... Yeah, I know that wasn't well explained before, so here ya go!**

 **Phew, that was a long author's note, but at long last, here's the story!**

* * *

Chapter 32:

"…completely irresponsible!"

"…without telling anyone…"

"…so worried…"

"…and what if none of you had made it out, what would you have done then, eh?"

"…didn't even tell me- _me!_ How could you?"

Sophie was having a hard time keeping track of the five different lectures coming at her at once. Between Sandor, Alden, Edaline, and Grady, she was getting enough chewing out to last a lifetime, but it was the pain in Fitz's voice that hurt her the most. She couldn't even meet his teal eyes, but not because of the flutters that usually plagued her. Rather, every time she saw the raw betrayal in them, her heart stabbed with guilt and shame.

She'd long since decided it would be pointless to try to defend herself, or otherwise speak at all, so she listened in silence, her headache growing. She could deal with the repercussions to herself, but she wished they would wait until Dex and Kelse were safe to freak out.

Finally, Sandor seemed to sum up the collective tirade by saying "…well it's never happening again. You will not be leaving my sight, not even for a minute."

Sophie wanted to ask about showering, but she decided it wasn't the time.

Alden turned to go. "I'll see if there's anything I can do," he sighed. He didn't even say 'no reason to worry.' The other adults followed him, clearly wanting to speak to him in private, although Sandor kept glancing back, as if Sophie might try to sneak out in the next five minutes. Fitz stayed, looking at her with that same look, until she wished he would stop, guilt or no guilt. Finally, he spoke, his voice ragged and weary.

"I don't really care if you ditch Sandor, Sophie, but I thought we were a team. I thought you trusted me. I thought we were making progress. I guess maybe it was too much to hope for, as it was."

Sophie thought her heart had been hurting before, but it was nothing to the pang Fitz's words left in her. She couldn't form words to answer, and just watched helplessly as he turned away stiffly and left her.

* * *

Elwin came, fretted about her many scathes, then treated her, insisting on rest. It was hours since she'd returned by the time Grady and Edaline brought her some food, their eyes sad but sympathetic.

"I was just trying to do the right thing, honestly," Sophie whispered in between bites. "I didn't stop to think about what might go wrong. Dex was so desperate, and we'd already taken a day and a half to come up with a plan, we didn't want to wait any longer."

"But that was a day and a half you had to tell someone, and include them in your plan, and maybe they could have helped speed up the rescue." Edaline rubbed slow circles up Sophie's back.

"You've just got to be more careful, Sophie," Grady said. "A mistake like that could be the difference between living and dying, between overcoming the Neverseen and letting them win. Do you understand?"

Sophie nodded, suddenly tired. Grady smiled tightly and patted her shoulder. "Get some sleep," he said.

"Good night, Sophie. We love you." Edaline hugged Sophie, then followed Grady out of the room.

Sophie hadn't wanted to argue, but there was absolutely no way she was about to sleep. She was glad for the time alone, though. Rubbing her temples, she flopped on the bed. The guilt and panic from leaving Dex was threatening to overwhelm her. She pushed it aside as best she could, knowing it's danger, but it was still there, bubbling under the surface.

Forcing herself to get up, she fed Iggy, then nuzzled him, trying to take comfort in his warm fur and loud, squeaky breathing. It reminded her of her cat Marty, and she slowly calmed. She stayed like that until she felt the compulsion to get ready for bed.

But sleep was not to come.

It had to be around midnight when Sophie sat up straight with a start. She hadn't been sleeping, but her thoughts had taken a sudden turn for the discomfiting, and had propelled her up of their own powers.

She paced for a few minutes, but she needed someone to talk to. Not wanting to wake anyone else—or deal with them—she finally went over to Vertina.

"I'm guessing you didn't come to me for fashion tips," said the mirror girl, when she'd winked on, giving Sophie a critical up-and-down.

"Vertina," Sophie began uncertainly, "I know Jolie used to confide in you, so you must be a good person to confide in."

Vertina seemed taken aback by the sudden seriousness, and took a moment to reply. "I don't know about that, I mean, I was Jolie's friend, and I listened, but…"

Sophie took a deep breath, then plunged in. "You and I haven't always gotten along, but I was hoping you could help me, like you helped Jolie."

Vertina blinked. "Oh, I wasn't a good help to Jolie. I wasn't enough. She still died." Despite being a projection on glass, she seemed on the edge of tears.

"It wasn't your fault, Vertina!" Sophie reached out before remembering that it wouldn't do any good. "But what happened today actually _was_ mine." She began to tell Vertina everything, and as she spoke the words spilled out faster and faster. Of course, she'd explained the whole situation twice already that day, but this time felt different. She wasn't talking to people she knew would be angry and upset by her news, and finally, a weight seemed to roll off her chest.

Vertina listened without interrupting. When Sophie finished with the account of what happened with Fitz, she was in tears.

"I don't know if I can stand being in a fight with him, Vertina," she sobbed. "He's my cognate and my friend, and- and I _love him_. If this is the end between us, what am I going to do?"

"Listen to me, Sophie," said Vertina, her shrill voice sharp. "You were just trying to do the right thing. So you made a mistake, so you'll learn from it. And learning to deal with the consequences of your actions, whether good or bad, right or wrong, is a part of growing up. As far as you and Fitz, though, well, I saw what happened to Jolie when she found out what Brant was. It destroyed her. You can't let that happen to you, Sophie. I can't lose another…" She cut herself off.

"Friend?" breathed Sophie. "Were you about to call me a friend?"

"Don't get presumptuous," sniffed the mirror girl. "But there are a lot of similarities between you and Jolie already. If you were to end up like her, too, well, it might make me lose my faith in elfkind."

"You have faith in… you know what, I'm not even going to say that."

"Why? Afraid you might smile?" teased Vertina. Sophie fought the smirk tugging at her mouth, unsuccessfully.

They shared several minutes of companionable silence, and it seemed like a puzzle piece in Sophie's life was being snapped into place. When she finally went back to bed, she felt a little better…

…but still utterly incomplete.


	34. Chapter 33

***whispers* I've been gone so long *ducks head in shame* Especially after I made up that schedule and now it's what 3 months?  
*Is too ashamed to even offer flimsy excuses* *so on to the story***

* * *

Chapter 33:

It was twenty-five-and-a-quarter hours since they'd been thrown into this cell. Kelse knew this because of the clock. A leftover from the building's human days, It had been stopped when they entered the dark, damp chamber, escorted by Fintan and Harmin. The Flasher had given Dex enough medicine to keep him alive, and after he left, Dex had revived slightly. His eyes had opened to the broken clock, and with a tired smile, he'd reached toward it.

"Just a misaligned gear," he'd rasped. The clock had started, and the boy had promptly passed out. Kelse had been left alone to worry, watch the hands move, listen to the ticking, and think about everything that had happened.

She had only spent two days under the Neverseen's spell, but those two days had changed everything. She'd finally felt like she and her father were a family. That they belonged together. She'd had a driving purpose, and she'd been fulfilling it. Even though it had been a result of the brainwashing, it had felt good, and losing it hurt more than she could have imagined. The biggest blow had been when Fintan confiscated her watch, the one memento of her father's affection. Now she and Dex were alone. The boy had awoken a few times, but was back to sleeping now. Kelse hoped it was a good sign, and not a bad one.

A shuffle at the door made her glance up. Her father stood, looking in the small, barred window in the door, holding a tray.

"Dad." Kelse started up, her voice surprisingly raspy, half from disuse, half from emotion.

The man gave her a small, sad smile as he shifted the tray to his hip and fumbled with the key.

"What's going on, Dad? Why are we still in here? Please." She was vaguely aware of the desperate pleading in her voice, but it didn't matter anymore.

Harmin stopped clanking the lock and leaned his head against the bars. "You betrayed Ruy and Brant, and let the Moonlark get away. Fintan isn't ready to trust you, and I-" He cut himself off.

"She was inside my head, messing around." Kelse reached out to hold the bars around her father's head. "But I'm back to being myself now, I promise! Can't you tell Fintan that?"

"I've tr- It's not that simple." Harmin picked up his head, jerked at the lock, and flung open the door. He took a deep breath, as if he were about to do something hard, or new. "I believe you," he whispered. "I'm just trying to protect you from something worse." He looked as if he really cared for her, his eyes such a mix of emotions she couldn't even hope to decode them, especially without Keefe beside her.

"Dad," she croaked. "I don't want to lose this. You and me, we've never really gotten along before. And now, I only get two days with you before it's all yanked away again?"

It made her feel like a horrible person to mislead him, just when they were patching things up, but she wasn't lying. Every word was true. She just wished they could mean something - anything - that would save her relationship with her father _and_ all her friends _and_ the elvin and human worlds. Yeah, piece of cake.

"I hate it too," the Flasher murmured, and crazy as it seemed, Kelse thought she saw a person in there, a raw, hurting, needy person under her father's arrogant, abusive facade. She'd seen it in the past two days, but she'd wondered if it was a side affect of the brainwashing. Now, she wasn't sure, and that only made everything harder. As he set down the tray, she reached down to rub the spot where her Nexus usually touched her wrist bone, glancing down when she felt only skin.

"He even took my watch. That was the one thing I had that reminded me of you through the years. The thing that made it seem like we could still be a family." Her voice hitched.

Harmin seemed knocked back a step by that. He swallowed. "You _know_ why Fintan took it. He's afraid you could escape."

Kelse snorted. "Yeah, right. Dex is unconscious, but I could totally drag him out of a windowless steel cell, and go… where?" Her eyes fell to her wrist, which her finger was still rubbing. "I just hate that it's gone. It feels like there's no hope anymore."

Her father's throat made a gurgling sound that made Kelse glance up in surprise. Suddenly he hugged her. Kelse tensed, waiting for the betraying pain, but it didn't come. The arms around her were strong, but gentle, loving even. She relaxed into them, hugging back.

It only lasted a moment. The Flasher straightened. "I've got to get back to Fintan." Then he was gone, locking the door behind him.

Feeling emotionally drained, Kelse tried to push the confusing conversation to the back of her mind. She turned instead to the tray. The food was as un-appealing as ever, but one of the water bottles smelled different, when Kelse tested their smells for poison. They'd been given regular, un-enhanced water with the two meals they'd gotten so far, and Dex, who wasn't used to that, was a little pale, and probably not healing as quickly as he should. At last, though, it seemed that the water in her bottle was actually youth. Maybe her father had sneaked it to her. Or… another thought occurred to her, and she sniffed angrily. They could afford to keep _her_ strength up, since she couldn't escape without her watch, but Dex they needed weak. Her hackles raised at the thought, and she switched water bottles. She'd lived on plain water in the human world for 12 years, and didn't need it as much as full elves did.

Dex woke to the smell of the food, bad as it was, and sat up shakily.

"Mornin', sunshine," Kelse said.

"I think it's afternoon," Dex observed, "but hello to you, too." He smiled, and Kelse thought it was beautiful.

"There's youth to drink today, at least." Kelse tried to sound more cheery than she felt.

Dex chugged the drink, and immediately sighed. "That feels better," he said. "My head feels like it's working again."

"Dex," Kelse started, twisting her napkin, "how are you feeling? I mean," she added when he shot her a questioning look, "well enough to escape?"

Dex ruminated for several minutes. "I don't know," he said at last. "I want to be, but I know how dangerous it will be. I don't want to put you in more danger."

"If I got us out, would you be able to hold yourself through a leap?"

Dex looked at her sharply. "What do you mean?"

"Yes or no."

"Yes," reluctantly, "but you're telling me what's going on."

* * *

When Alvar delivered the next meal, there was a package on the tray. Kelse quickly opened it, her fingers trembling. It was her watch. Her father had come through. And now she was about to betray his budding trust. She pushed the sickening guilt away.

Strapping the band on as fast as possible, she reached out to grab Alvar, who had turned to leave.

"Alvar, wait," she said.

Alvar turned and frowned at her. "What do you want, traitor," he snapped.

"Takes one to know one," she retorted. "Why are you doing this?"

"Helping keep you locked up? Because you betrayed us, that's why." He swished his cloak, yanking it from her grasp.

"No. Why are you doing this to your family? Do you even know what's happening to them?"

"The Vackers deserve it," he said darkly. "And my mother, she never stopped them."

"And what about Biana?

He faltered. "What about Biana?"

"Don't you know? She's breaking. Maybe permanently. It's not like any break we've seen before. Between you and Keefe, you're killing her. What do you think about that?"

"Biana," he whispered. "I never meant to get her mixed up in this."

"How could she not be affected? She's part of the family you left."

"Why are you trying to guilt trip me?" he flared suddenly. "What is is you want?"

"Let us go, Alvar."

"I knew it! What does that have to do with Biana?"

"It's the fastest way to end this, once for all." Behind her, Kelse sensed Dex shifting, as if to get comfortable, grunting in pain as he did. She knew he was really moving to a better position to jump up and stab Alvar with the sharp slab of cement they'd chipped from the floor if anything happened.

"Yeah, for your side. For us, it's faster this way." Alvar barely spared Dex a glance, too focused on Kelse and her words.

"So it may seem, but I doubt it. No matter who wins in the end, this is all just making it worse for Biana. You could give her hope, hope that you're not all bad."

"I'm doing this for her as much as for me," he said, voice strained.

"Then let us tell her. Come on, Alvar. You know this isn't right." Kelse took half a step forward.

"Right and wrong are subjective," growled the vanisher.

"No, they're not. It may seem that way, sometimes, but in the end, there's the right way and the wrong way. And this," she gestured around, taking in the whole of the Neverseen with her arm, "is the wrong way."

"Says who?" But Alvar's voice was flat.

"Do you really think Fintan has the best interests of the world in mind? Please, Alvar. You're our best hope. Do the right thing for once in your life. Do it for Biana."

It was a stretch, but for some reason, Alvar seemed to buy it. He took a shaky breath, then said "what do you want me to do? I'll be killed for this, you know."

"No, you won't," Kelse said, with false assurance. It was likely that he would, but this was no time to worry about Alvar. "All you have to do is carry Dex out of here to a secluded spot outside. Then, deny you had anything to do with it. I'll get myself out."

"Tell them I died," offered Dex. He half stood, turning white from the effort. Kelse caught him, worried. "I can fake dying."

A long half minute passed. Then Alvar nodded once. "Do it."

Kelse and Dex had talked about this, but her heart still nearly stopped when, after she'd laid him down, his breathing stopped, his skin turned cold, and his heart rate slowed and weakened until she could barely tell it was there at all.

"Impressive," Alvar voice was cutting in the silence. "That's not a widely taught skill. I should have figured on Kessler teaching his kids things like that." He scooped Dex roughly into a fireman's carry.

"Be gentle!" Kelse fretted, insides quivering.

"He's supposed to be dead. If I'm careful, it will be obvious something's up." Alvar shrugged his shoulder to a more comfortable position, making Dex's head loll frighteningly.

As the vanisher turned to the door, Kelse fit a chip of cement into the lock. Then, after he'd closed up the cell, she laid a cold hand on his wrist and vanished. Alvar flinched. "It's really weird to see you do that."

They walked through the halls. Kelse's heart pounded so loud that she worried it was audible. Only one person met them, and they bought the act right away. They made it outside with so little trouble, that Kelse was expecting a trap, but there was nothing. Alvar took them behind a stand of trees and dropped Dex to the ground.

"You have five minutes to get out of here," he said. "Don't expect any more help." Turning on his heels, he strode back to the base as fast as he could without looking suspicious.

Kelse fell to her knees and shook Dex, trying to wake him without jostling his injuries too badly.

"Dex," she whispered, tracing her fingers along his face. She wanted to hug him, but didn't know if it would be appropriate. Time seemed to crawl. Why was it taking so long for him to wake up?

Dex shuddered and heaved a breath. He squinted up and, finding Kelse's face right above his, gasped.

"Kelse," he rasped.

No longer in full control of her body or mind from emotional overload, Kelse threw herself down and hugged Dex. She felt the surprise course through his muscles, then he strained and hugged her back. She felt his blood leaking through reopened wounds, staining her clothes and wetting her skin, but she didn't care. Right then, she would have saved that moment forever. Finally free of the Neverseen, both of them alive and together. But Alvar had said five minutes, so she sat up and twisted her Mysterium crystal.

"Hang on," she whispered, wrapping her free arm around Dex. He wrapped his arm around her and nodded, and together they leaned into the light.


	35. Chapter 34

**Ok, so I was gone a very long time, and it was for a Reason, which I just really... Really need to talk about. It's been horrible, but I don't want to bore y'all who don't need my angst, so I'll tack it on the end of my author's note cuz even if no one reads it, it'll make me feel better to type it, and you can just skip it, but I just really need to vent. And explain why I was gone so long.  
Here's a short little chapter, and I'm sorry if it's way too much, it just happened. So, beware.**

 **Reviews:**

 **TEAM SOPHIE: Yes, I'm back! and I finally answered your wonderful note in your anniversary post. (Happy anniversary, btw!) Glad you liked the chapter. And you were my 100th review! Woo woo! Triple digits, thanks guys!**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan: It wasn't me, honest! A Neverseen agent hacked my account and murdered you with it!  
** **I hope you feel better! And I did check your stories out! Good luck with the writers block... ugh. ;(**

 **Smiles: No need to be awkward! I figured it was you ;) and besides, I love enthusiastic reviews! I don't know if the Alvar thing I'm working on will be ooc or not, but if it is, sorry. I came up with this fic idea before Neverseen came out, and just half rewrote it (in my brain) after, so originally Alvar wasn't quite so evil and it didn't transfer that well. I kind of imagine that Vertina's asleep when she's off, but maybe not? idk, I didn't think about it too much. Glad I'm keeping you on your virtual toes!**

 **Zola 206: Aww, thank you! I'm ****always grateful for a new reader!**

 **x**

 **Ok, now for the part you can skip if you don't want my angst. Right after the whole Project Moonlark thing, I was doing my piano test, and it was so stressful, plus who knows what else was going on even then, I can't even remember, I almost had an actual nervous breakdown. It's kind of fuzzy, but it was bad. I passed the test, got honors, but not the highest, so I felt really bad. (I have OCD) Then, even though I really should have taken a break, I took on tons of extra hours at work while also working at a summer camp, and needless to say I couldn't do it all, but I wouldn't admit it, and it was bad. Then, there's this bully that's really viciously attacking me and my friends and family so badly that almost everyone I care about is hurt and worse, and nobody can or will stop them. My OCD, which I can kind of control usually, really got out of hand, and I was having panic attacks, etc. As a last straw, of my only 3 in person friends, one is going away to college this year (in Italy) and the other two are getting married - to each other. So not a lot of time for me. So I've been having one of the worst summers ever, pretty much. When we went on family vacation, I decided last minute to just stay with my grandparents an extra week alone, In a different state, where I could escape it all. Coming back, I'm healing a lot, but it's still hard, and I found out this week that an author's workshop I was going to in the fall - with Shannon herself! - was cancelled. So if anyone actually read this, I could really use a prayer. I'm praying for you guys, because if this summer has taught me anything it's that a stray prayer from someone far away can send a little respite to you just when you need it most.**

* * *

Chapter 34:

By three in the morning, Sophie had had enough. Exhaustion weighed on her, but she couldn't sleep. It was one of the most unpleasant feelings, and she yearned to end it. Knowing there was only one way, she gathered her courage and transmitted.

 _Fitz?_

 _Sophie?_ The reply was so instantaneous, so alert, that there was no doubt that he'd been awake, too. Ever since the first night they'd slept while mentally linked, they'd never had a night separated, and had grown so close that the separation hurt.

There was a moment of awkward silence after their minds joined. Sophie felt the hardness in Fitz's thoughts toward her, but also a deep, overwhelming, sickening grief.

 _Fitz I'm so sorry. Please, you can look at all my thoughts. I didn't mean anything by leaving you out. I know it was wrong of me. Please, Fitz, I can't do this. I need you._

 _Really?_ Fit's mental voice was strangled. _Because you seem to try to do everything without me._

 _I'm just trying to keep you safe, because I can't let anything happen to you. And it's always a mistake. I can't live without you. Please._ Please.

 _Well what about me?_ The anger in Fitz's mind was growing, like it was a wall getting pushed higher and higher. _I want to keep you safe, too, but you never give me the chance. It makes me feel so… useless._

All of a sudden, the wall broke and the floodgates opened. Fitz was crying big, ugly, convulsive sobs that shook Sophie with their violence. She had no idea what to say, so after transmitting a soft _I love you_ and a last single _sorry_ , she concentrated on sending the soft feeling of a hug, tears welling in her own eyes. Fitz's mind leaned into the virtual embrace as he wept. Finally, after many long but somehow healing minutes, he took a deep breath, both physically and mentally.

 _I don't want to let anything happen to you, either. Sophie, I know it seems that we have our whole lives ahead of us, but everything's so uncertain. This has shown me more than ever. You keep on having to risk your life, and I know I'll have my own share of perils before this is all over. I need something secure to get me through it all, without breaking, or… dying. I need you, too, but not just for right now. What I'm trying to say is, someday, when this is over and we're both out of the elite towers - if we ever make it there - Sophie Elisabeth Foster, will you marry me?_

Sophie lay in shock. Marry. Fitz. _Marriage?_ she gasped. _But Fitz, I mean we're so young! I'm barely 15. That's a huge decision. We're talking about the rest of our lives here, and it's not just 70 or 80 years._

Fitz deflated a little. _Is there anyone else you would consider?_

 _No! Never!_ The response was instantaneous. Sophie knew there would never be anyone else for her. _It just seems so… huge._

 _I know, but these are extenuating circumstances. I don't even know if we'll both live that long, and I want this so much, Sophie, you can't understand._

Fitz's emotions were so immensely strong, Sophie felt it, just a little, through their mental link, and it stirred feelings deep inside her that she had barely known about, that had been suppressed. _Maybe I can,_ she whispered.

 _So…_

 _Yes._

The word was so small, she hardly heard it herself, but as soon as it was out, the rightness of it filled her with confidence.

 _Yes! YES!_ Now she couldn't stop saying it.

 _Yes?_ Fitz's mind turned electric blue with shock. _Wait, you said yes?_

 _Umm? Didn't you want me to?_

 _Yes! Yes I wanted you to, but you DID!_

What happened next was hard to explain. Sophie was shuddering mentally with pure excitement and joy, and suddenly she was enveloped by a sensation unlike anything she'd ever experienced. It sent tingles shooting through her from her head to her toes. Even her fingers pulsed with the thrills. Her mind exploded into rose petal- and confetti-like fragments. Strangest of all was the sudden inexplicable almost sour change that washed over her mouth.

 _Fitz? What happened?_

 _I…_ Embarrassment flooded the boy's mind. _I just imagined what it would be like to kiss you and… I guess you could say… I kissed you telepathically?_

Now it was Sophie's turn to blush. _You… kissed me?_

 _I mean, sort of?_

They let that sink in, their minds drifting in sync. Finally, Sophie stirred.

 _Fitz? Let's not tell anyone just yet. I'd like to have this just between us for a while._

She felt Fitz's understanding and acknowledgment although he didn't form words. This was something special; a secret, for now, all theirs.

 _And maybe,_ she continued, _let's not kiss again, or at least not for real._

She was worried that Fitz would misunderstand, but their minds were in such perfect union, he seemed to simply continue her—their?—train of thought.

 _Not until we're ready, anyway. And older. But before we have to wait…_

He sent the feeling again, slower, gentler. And somehow, Sophie's mind suddenly knew how to respond, kissing his back, even as their united thoughts finished Fitz's sentence…

 _One more._


	36. Chapter 35

**It's one year since I started posting this baby! And this is only chapter 35?! Disgraceful, I know. Ah, well, perhaps I'll do better this year.**

 **Huge thank you to all my supporters. In particular, Strikestar, BlackSwanGirl, KOTLC 1 Fan, and PokeMANS for their encouragement early on, to Xylia Neo for being such a fanfic role model, and TEAM SOPHIE and Smiles for getting me through the toughest times. Honestly, if it wasn't for the two of you, I don't know where I'd be.**

 **Sorry for the painfully short and confusing chapter, but like I said, time discrepancy to sort, plus I really wanted to post on my anniversary.**

* * *

Chapter 35:

Keefe had been standing for a long time outside the gates of Evergreen. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to show his face there, but something had been off with Biana, and he had a strange feeling it was his fault. He got that feeling a lot lately.

Arguing reached his ears long before three glittering forms appeared nearby.

"What part of 'grounded and confined to your room' do you not understand?"

"But Dad, it's an emergency. They can't find Biana, and it's been almost 24 hours since she was last seen." Sophie was standing between Grady and Sandor, hands out in an imploring gesture.

"And you know this how?" Grady wasn't sounding pleased.

"Fitz told me. He's really worried. So's Della."

"He had no business contacting you knowing you were grounded."

"Well… He didn't exactly _contact_ me. I mean, it just kind of came up. Actually, I was the one who first noticed we hadn't seen Biana all morning."

"You- never mind, I don't want to know." Grady was holding his head as if it ached.

"It's ok, dad. You can go home and wait for me. I'll be right there. Sandor will be with me."

"You'd better believe I will," squeaked Sandor.

Grady leapt away, and the duo walked up to the gates. Sophie suddenly noticed Keefe.

"Keefe?! What-"

Keefe tried not to look like a pegasus in a flasher's show. "I came to see Biana," he said, heaving the words out. "I was talking to her yesterday, and I don't know what happened but she was acting kind of weird. I just wanted to apologize, if I said something wrong."

"You spoke to Biana?" Sophie's eyes were wide with a panic Keefe didn't understand. She must have been transmitting, because without anyone ringing the bell, the gates swung open and Fitz stood there in front of them. He and Sophie took off down the path at a run, Keefe and Sandor right behind them. Once, Fitz glanced back at Keefe with a look that could kill. Obviously, he and Sophie were transmitting.

The four of them ran into the house and up the stairs. At Biana's door, Fitz pounded while Sophie closed her eyes, probably probing. With a wordless glance at each other, they opened the door.

Biana lay sprawled on the floor, clearly where she'd fallen yesterday. Keefe recognized the dress she'd been wearing when they'd talked.

Sophie and Fitz were acting as one, as if they were thinking the same thoughts - which they probably were. Honestly, there was something fishy going on between them. If Keefe hadn't been so distracted by his own guilt, he would have been trying to figure it out.

"You saw Biana?" Fitz's voice sounded too loud in the silence. "When, where?"

Keefe explained as much of the encounter as dared. Some of it, he needed to get to the bottom of in his own mind before sharing. As he spoke, Sophie turned more and more green, and Fitz's face grew grave and stormy.

"I didn't mean to hurt her, I was trying to make it right. You've got to believe me!" he pleaded.

"Call Elwin," Sophie said to Sandor before turning to Keefe. "You didn't mean to hurt her? You really didn't know?"

Fitz and Sophie lifted the limp girl onto the bed. Keefe, more confused and guilty than before, felt about as useful as a verminion.

"Can I help?" he asked at last.

"You've done enough," snapped Fitz. Keefe felt like he'd been struck. Sophie shot him one sorrowful, sympathetic glance, but then turned away to calm and comfort Fitz.

Not knowing what else to do, Keefe wandered away, wondering if he would ever return.


	37. Chapter 36

**Look at me! Three updates in one day! Don't get used to it, peeps. (lol)**

 **Reviews:**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan: Aww, thanks! You're one of mine, too! The list is growing, and as someone who spent so many years alone, I'm so blessed to have you all! Heart you back!**

 **TEAM SOPHIE: *Bows dramatically* *Falls over, because I have no sense of balance* *Cracks up laughing over how awkward I am***

 **Wow it seems like forever since I updated this one.**

* * *

Chapter 36:

It took Sophie, Elwin, and Tam all working together to get Biana stable. She was still in some kind of coma, but it was the best they could hope for, for now.

"I'm hoping some nice induced sleep will help," Elwin said fretfully, "But at this point I'm just guessing."

"I couldn't pull all the shadowvapor away," said Tam. "It was… intense. I don't know how she's attracting so much, but, well, the last time I pulled it all away, you saw how that went."

"Her consciousness is weaker than ever," Sophie agreed. "If the shadowvapor is keeping her together for now, at least something is." She gagged slightly as the sent of sedatives drifted in a fresh wave to her nose. "I think I need to go home. Grady will be really mad that I've stayed this long."

"I'll stay with her," said Fitz from the door. He looked horrible, and Sophie didn't want to leave him alone, but she decided not to argue.

"Tam, do you and Linh want to come over?" she asked. "I may be confined to my room, but we do have some business to take care of." She gestured to his head.

A frown creased Tam's face. "I guess it's necessary," he said darkly. "But I don't like it.

* * *

Grady was indeed very mad. He was also not pleased to see Tam and Linh, but Sophie explained that it was important.

"You can ground me for real when the war is over," she said. "But we need to get ahead of the Neverseen if we want to win it.

"No offence, Sophie," Tam said as they mounted the stairs, "But I've never seen you be so…"

"Defiant? Rude?" Sophie half turned to look at him behind her on the stairs, tripping as a result.

"Bold." Tam twitched his eyebrows and reached up a hand to steady her.

Sophie blushed and concentrated on getting up the stairs gracefully. "I just want to do whatever it takes to finish this," she said when they'd reached the top. "Looking at what the Neverseen planted in your minds will give us a clue to their next move. Plus, I don't want you to go through what I did, or Keefe did with the hidden memories."

She opened her door and ushered them in before her. Linh smiled.

"Your room is beautiful, Sophie," she exclaimed.

"Thanks." Sophie pulled her memory log from her desk and plopped down on the carpet, motioning for the twins to follow.

"This shouldn't hurt," she explained. "I will be trying to uncover some things that were repressed or even erased, though, so I'll have to dig some. Once they're out, the memories should stay with you, so I only have the log in case there's something really important we need to show the Collective."

Tam took a breath, then scootched forward. "I'll go first," he said. Linh squeezed his hand.

Sophie placed her fingers on Tam's temples and closed her eyes.

Tam's mind was a landscape of shadows. Sophie tried not to invade his privacy more than necessary, but she saw little clips of memories from throughout his life. All of them were tinged with sadness or anger. She waded for a while, but soon realized it wasn't getting her anywhere. There had to be a trigger, but what?

 _Tam can you think of something?_ She transmitted.

 _I don't know._ Tam pushed his mind, in search of an answer.

They didn't get far. It seemed like an unsolvable puzzle, until Sophie had an idea.

 _Lodestar,_ she thought. Tam's subconscious stirred. Sophie transmitted an image of the mirror, then overlaid an image of Tam on it, as if he was standing in front of it, being himself in it.

Tam gasped as memories flooded into his conscious mind. Things his father had said, clues he'd left, secret trips that had been washed from Tam's mind, playing back in fuzzy, broken snippets. It wasn't as clear as Keefe's washed memories, but then Tam didn't have a photographic memory.

 _This could be an important base,_ Sophie studied one of the places Tam had been on a washed trip. _I'm going to put it in the log._

Sophie broke away from Tam and grabbed her memory log.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were alright," Linh remarked. "You were sitting so still for such a long time."

"Sorry," Sophie said, checking her handiwork. "Do you know this place? I couldn't tell if you were there in the memory."

Linh looked over and frowned. "I don't think so," she said. "But, it was hidden, right?"

"Yes. We'll find out soon enough. You ready?"

Linh gulped, but nodded. Sophie reached for her temples.

Lina's mind was like a sunken city, soft and watery, fascinating and filled with the hope of buried treasure. Now that Sophie knew what she was doing, she unlocked the hidden memories without trouble. Most were similar to Tam's, but there was one frightening addition.

' _Now listen, Linh, I'm going to take you to Atlantis,' her father was saying._

 _'_ _No, please!" Linh, three years younger than when she'd met Sophie, looked up at her father in fear. 'I'm going to have an accident again.'_

 _'_ _What do you mean again?' Quan's tone was dangerous._

 _'_ _You know,' Linh said. 'Like the other cities I've flooded. The other places you took me.'_

 _'_ _We've discussed this, Linh.' The man was trying hard to control his temper. 'That never happened. You haven't flooded any cities.'_

 _'_ _Yes I have!' cried Linh, distressed and confused. Why was her father denying what he'd forced her to do?_

 _Quan sighed. 'Linh, dear,' he began, 'just this once more, than it'll be all over, I promise. Come with me to Atlantis. It's important. Your mother can come, too, this time._

 _'_ _What about Tam?' The hope in Linh's voice was enough to make any living being have mercy, but Quan shook his head._

 _'_ _You know Tam can't be there. This is our own little secret, you and me.'_

 _'_ _But I hate keeping secrets from him.' Poor Linh was utterly miserable._

 _'_ _One more time, then you'll forget all about it.' Quan ran his hand along Linh's hair, with what seemed like genuine affection._

 _'_ _Promise?'_

 _'_ _I promise.'_

Sophie pulled back with a start, staring at Linh in shock. Linh sat on the carpet, going paler by the second.

"What happened?" Tam demanded, sounding frighteningly like his father.

Linh curled her knees to her chest and started to shiver. Sophie opened and closed her mouth a few times, unable to form words. Tam grabbed their arms and shook them, brow furrowed with worry. "You're scaring me," he shouted.

Sophie met Linh's eyes. Linh nodded, and Sophie transmitted the memory to Tam.

The room was suddenly full of dark shadows, collecting around Tam. "I'll kill him," he growled.

"No you won't." It was Sophie's turn to grab Tam's arm. "You don't need that guilt."

"I think I'd survive it," Tam snorted, but he seemed to calm down. He reached out to hug Linh, and she buried her face in his shoulder. Sophie felt herself missing Fitz's strong, comforting presence in her mind, but this wasn't her secret to share, and he didn't need another problem to deal with right now.

"I think we'd better go," Tam said in a raw voice after a few minutes. "We've got a lot to think about."

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Sophie asked worriedly.

"Yeah." Tam stood and helped Linh up.

"Let me know if you remember anything else," Sophie said.

"Yeah. And Sophie?" Tam looked straight into her eyes. "Thank you. This wasn't easy, but, we needed to do it." He pursed his lips.

Sophie nodded. She didn't know how to put into words how much she understood, but Tam saw it in her eyes. He twitched his head in an almost nod, then led Linh gently outside.

Sophie was left alone, wondering where and when it would all end.


	38. Chapter 37

**Hey Y'all! How's life?**

 **K, I'm updating again! My writer's block is finally so gone that I can't keep up with all the ideas I'm getting. So have a chapter! Sorry it's short again.**

 **Ok, I forgot to say this before, and I'm so ashamed of myself now. HUGE thank you to everyone who prayed for me. You don't know how much it helped. Really, I could feel the effects in my life, and everything started turning around for me then. I'm so blessed to have you guys as my friends! (Heart** **sign!) To TEAM SOPHIE and booksaremylife, and of course dear Smiles, who had me smiling and feeling encouraged.**

 **And I'm sorry about them being engaged! But aside from it being cute, I really needed them to be kiss-eligible, (spoiler alert!) and you know my policy on relationships by now, I think.**

 **Reviews:**

 **TEAM SOPHIE: ...? Is that a good scream or a bad scream? Have I killed another reader?**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan: Thank you! and Thank you! Luv you too!**

 **themusicaddict: not ****cringy, then?**

 **I've got to say, when I wrote that Tam and Linh scene, I totally fangirled _waaay_ hard over my own writing. I know, I'm weird.**

* * *

Chapter 37:

It was the wee hours of the morning, Kelse guessed, when they appeared on the streets of Mysterium, pale, trembling, blood-soaked, and laying on top of each other. She was thankful for the deserted streets and relative darkness.

"Are you ok?" Inwardly, Kelse winced when she heard herself.

Dex let out a pained, not completely humorless laugh. "Sadly, I would say yes. Funny, isn't it. What does it mean when a near death experience leaves you less than rattled?"

It _was_ funny, even though it seemed perversely so. Kelse doubted either of them weren't rattled, however. "Can you walk?" she asked.

Dex looked doubtful, but motioned for her to stand, then grabbed her arm to steady himself as he hauled himself into a sitting position, then to his knees. He gasped.

"Just dizzy," he explained when she shot him a worried look, but it was obvious that wasn't all.

"Just… take it easy," she fretted.

The stains on his shirt got darker as he finally made it to a standing position, and he wavered on his feet, but Kelse twisted her arm in his hand so she could grasp his elbow. His breath came in short, wheezing pants.

When they were collected, they started down the street toward Slurps and Burps. It was many blocks' walk, and they were moving slowly. Kelse started going crazy between concentrating on keeping Dex upright and listening to her racing heart and his labored breathing.

After a while, they had to stop so Dex could catch his breath. They leaned against a wall.

"You know I love you, right?" he said suddenly.

Kelse felt as if a sledgehammer dropped in her stomach. She and Dex knew, of course, how they felt about each other, but they didn't talk about it. They were both awkward dorks, even she knew that, but it was more than that. They didn't need to say it, because their feelings were perfectly in sync. The fact that Dex was bringing it up now could only mean he thought he wasn't going to make it.

"Dex, don't-" she began, but Dex cut her off.

"Kelse. I'm not just scratched up this time. I'm not just burned. Look at me." He lifted his shirt just enough to show the old finger-shaped scar on his belly. It was dwarfed now by an oozing, bloody wound that extended under his shirt in every direction. Burnt, torn skin surrounded it, making Kelse want to be sick. "I'm not sorry I came to save you, either. I'd do it a thousand times over. But we have to realize there might not be any coming back from this one. And I don't want to leave you without you knowing exactly how much I love you. I know we haven't known each other that long, but I can't imagine caring more for anyone. I mean, maybe not even Sophie. Possibly. Or my parents." He looked a little sheepish as his honesty made him hedge on the last point.

Tears welled in Kelse's eyes. "Dex," she whispered. "I love you more than words, more than I've ever loved anyone in my life, save Danny and my Mother." She buried her face in his shoulder, in the least bloody spot she could find. She still felt wetness in her hair as he strained to put one arm around her, the other hanging limp and useless. She wrapped her arms oh-so-gently around him and tried not to give in to the wracking sobs fighting to break free. Somehow she controlled them, as she'd always done before.

"Don't leave me," she murmured. "Stay with me. Please."

"I'm so sorry," he wheezed. "I tried so hard to hold on for you." Dex squeezed her with his good hand.

 _"_ _Dex no."_

"I tried. I'm sorry." he repeated, slowly falling down the wall, his hand losing it's grip.

 _"_ _I love you."_ The words were barely audible as he sank the last few inches to the ground and closed his eyes.

"NO!" Panic closed over Kelse's chest. She dropped to her knees and shook the boy, disregarding his injuries, but there was no response, not even a gasp of pain. They couldn't have gotten this far just to fail two blocks from safety, they couldn't!

Somehow, her panic gave way to a brief moment of clarity. Kelse remembered her watch. Quickly, she messaged Sophie, hoping desperately that the girl would hear. Then she crumpled beside Dex.

Time seemed to stand still. Somehow, though, the long wait finally ended. Just as dawn was starting to break in the sky, figures appeared running toward them. She recognized Sophie and Sandor, and she heard the others referred to as Grady and Edaline. The latter gasped when she saw them, but Kelse couldn't even get up the strength to open her eyes fully. She moaned just loud enough so they would hear, then succumbed to the grief and exhaustion that was overwhelming her, staying conscious just long enough to feel strong arms lift her. She strained to see Dex cradled safely in Sandor's arms, then let the world go black.


	39. Chapter 38

**OKOKOK! I know I've been gone for an age and a day, I'm Sorry!**

 **(not that anyone really missed me...)**

 **ANYway, Here's a longer that usual chapter to make up for it! Yay!**

 **Reviews:**

 **booksaremylife:** **I KNOW I WAS CRYING WRITING IT AND I AM usually AN EMOTIONLESS ROCK! ! ! I'm so glad you liked it, and hang on!**

 **Sophitz4Ever:** **Y? BECAUSE WE LIKE YOU! Ok, why am I shouting so much? Sorry sorry for the huge hiatus after the cliffhanger! But I'm here now, and so we'll see what happens to poor Dex... (He's my fav, but you never really know...)**

 **sandcrawlr:** **Hi:) Happy New year... Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!**

 **NOW: Last time, as you may recall, we left Dex and Kelse in a state of** **oblivion collapsed on the streets of Mysterium. Is Dex dead? Is Kelse broken? Will they be found? Find out in this weeks episode of- Lost- In- (No, it's not space...) the Lost cities?** **Mysterium? Someone help me...**

* * *

Chapter 38:

Sophie didn't want to hear the sound. She was right in the middle of a cozy, safe, beautiful shared dream with Fitz. He was the one who interrupted it to say _Did you hear that?_

 _No._ Sophie gathered all the strength she could spare without waking to shove the word at him.

 _But there it is again, Sophie. What if there's something wrong?_

 _Sandor can take care of it,_ grumbled Sophie, hating the feeling of waking up that was beginning to tickle her consciousness.

 _Honestly, Sophie. How can you willingly sleep through something like this? There it is again!_

 _Easily._ If Sophie had been speaking, she would have spat out the word. But Fitz's mind wouldn't drop it, so she sighed mentally and said _Fine, what did it sound like?_

Fitz replayed the sound. Sophie's mind crinkled in a virtual frown. _That's my iMessage tone, from my iPod,_ she realized. _The only one who knows how to reach me there is…_

She sat bolt upright in her bed, wide awake. _Kelse!_

She grabbed the device from her nightstand and quickly read the messages.

 _"_ _Sophie we got out but there's something wrong please can you come get us?"_

 _"_ _We're two blocks away from Slurps and Burps, but Dex has collapsed and we can't go any farther."_

 _"_ _I'm not leaving him but I don't even know if he's alive please Sophie help me please please…"_

"Sandor!" screamed Sophie. Sandor barged into the room, sword raised.

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

Sophie waited until Grady and Edaline, whom she heard clattering up the stairs, made it into the room before she relayed the message. Edaline's face went white as she heard about Dex.

"We've got to go," she said, surprising everyone.

"We?" Grady asked.

"Dex is my nephew. I couldn't be there for Jolie and I can't always be there for Sophie, so the least I can do is try to be there for Dex. If it isn't too late…" She gasped as she finished the sentence, but there was steel in her eyes.

Sophie sent everyone out so she could change. Fitz fussed in her mind, wanting to come, but she shook her head.

 _You should stay with Biana,_ she said. _I'll call you over in the morning, once we know what's going on for sure._

 _It is morning,_ Fitz grumbled, but he conceded on the point of Biana.

Sophie tumbled from her room in a tunic and pants that probably didn't actually match, but she wasn't looking. Sandor, Grady and Edaline joined her at the leapmaster, and together they stepped into the light.

It took a few precious minutes to find Kelse and Dex, since they didn't know which direction to go from Slurps and Burps, but at last they found them.

Sophie felt like she wanted to be sick when she saw all the blood. She wondered if this was how it felt to find her and Dex when they'd been kidnapped. She was starting to understand why everyone was so traumatized by that. Edaline gasped and grabbed Grady's arm, but held it together.

Dex was completely unresponsive, but Kelse moaned and fluttered her eyelids. Sandor immediately took charge.

"Grady, could you carry one of them? Edaline, please call for Elwin. We can take them to-"

"We're taking Dex home," Edaline insisted. "His parents deserve to know what's going on."

By the time they made it to the Dizznee house, the whole family was awake. It was eerily silent, though, as Dex and Kelse were carried in. Edaline conjured a second bed into Dex's room so the two patients could be together. Elwin rushed in a moment later. When he saw, he shook his head.

"This is very bad," he murmured. He whipped out his glasses and checked them. It wasn't long until he looked up, face grim.

"Kelse seems to be ok," he said. "Several bruises, and all her cells are depleted, but… none of this blood is hers." He turned to Dex. "I just don't know if I can do all it will take to save him."

Juline and Kesler clung to each other, looking very like Grady and Edaline had used to look.

Edaline just pursed her lips. "He's not dead yet, though?"

"Not… quite," Elwin faltered. "Not exactly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Kesler.

"Never mind, Kesler," murmured Juline, glancing at the triplets. "Let's just let Elwin work."

It was too late, though. Bex started to cry softly, and Juline smothered the little girl in her waist. Then, to Sophie's surprise, Rex started sobbing huge, loud sobs. He just stood, rooted to the spot with the violence of his grief. It seemed funny; Rex had always come across as the tough one. He had bluff and bravado enough for all three triplets, for sure. To see him so emotional was odd.

The strain on everyone's faces was obvious. No one else moved to calm the little boy, so Sophie went over and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. Even then, he didn't move, just shook and wailed under her hand. Elwin looked up pleadingly. Gently, Sophie shepherded the boy from the room. The others filed out behind her.

When Rex and Bex had been calmed down, and Juline and Kesler were sitting with Edaline, who'd conjured some hot tea, Sophie went outside to think. Finally, she opened her mind.

 _Fitz?_

 _Sophie?_

Just hearing his voice in her head made Sophie calmer. _How are you? How's Biana?_

 _No change._ Sophie could feel Fitz's worry. _I'm ok, I guess. What happened? Is Dex…_

The last thing Fitz had seen were the desperate texts from Kelse. Sophie filled him in on the rest of the story, and he cringed as she showed Dex's wounds.

 _He's not dead yet, if I even know what Elwin meant. But it didn't sound too hopeful. This is all my fault, Fitz!_

 _No!_ The force in Fitz's voice knocked her back a little. _No guilt, Sophie! Of course you should have called me to help, but that's in the past now. Think positive!_

Thinking positive was going to be hard, but Sophie tried.

 _Do you still need me to come over?_ Fitz asked.

 _I think for now you should stay there,_ Sophie said. _Just having you here in my mind is helping so much, and it might just add to the confusion if you came._

 _Ok._ Fitz's smile made Sophie's heart flutter even though she could only feel it, not see it. _Stay strong, Sophie. I love you._

 _I love you, too._ Sophie closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of Fitz's presence for a few minutes longer.

* * *

It took Elwin many hours before he felt the patients were stable enough that he could leave.

"I'll be back tonight," he promised. "But I need some time to see other patients."

"There's no change in Biana's condition," Sophie blurted. Elwin shot her a quizzical look. "Fitz wants to know what time you'll be there. Um…" She blushed as she realized what she'd said.

"You're in contact with Fitz right now?" Grady asked.

"Never mind," said Edaline quickly. "We'll see you later, Elwin."

"Tell Fitz I'm coming right over," Elwin told Sophie.

When Elwin had glittered away, Sophie looked around at her family, wondering what they were going to do with the day. The Dizznees were in no condition to open the shop or anything else. It was the weekend, so there was no need to worry about school, but life still went on.

"I've got to get back to Havenfield," Grady said, glancing worriedly at the sober faces around him. "I'm getting a shipment of Javan rhinoceroses in the morning, and I don't have an enclosure ready."

"Go," Edaline urged. "I'll stay- unless you need me. Or," she glanced at Kesler, "do I need to go over to Slurps and Burps?"

"Uhm," Kelser looked lost.

"The world won't end if Slurps and Burps isn't open today," Lex said, surprising everyone. Sophie had just about forgotten him. "There are other apothecaries. If you would be so kind as to put a sign on the door, Aunt Edaline, that will be sufficient. And then, you should go get some rest, and take care of your own responsibilities. You too, Sophie. I will manage here."

"Lex… are you sure?" Edaline's face creased with worry.

The boy's face was hard and determined. "I'm sure. I'll make sure everyone's alright."

"I'll be back for when Elwin comes," Edaline said. "You coming home, Sophie?"

Sophie shot one last guilty look at Lex. "Actually, I need to go to Alluveterre to see Tam and Linh. They were pretty shaken after what we found yesterday."

Grady and Edaline left, and Sophie called Mr. Forkle to get her. The last she saw of Lex, he was patiently shepherding his family into the house, looking about twenty years older.

* * *

Mr. Forkle insisted on hearing all the details of the morning. He was grim-faced and angry when Sophie finished.

"I'll send Physic over to help," he promised. "Now, mind telling me what you and the twins are up to?"

"Not yet," Sophie said. "I want to make sure they're ready."

"Sophie…"

"I know, it's important, and as soon as I'm sure they're ok, I'll tell you." Sophie smiled tightly. "It seems like so much is piling up all of a sudden."

Mr. Forkle laughed. "It's felt like that since you were found, Sophie," he said. "Perhaps even since before that."

Tam and Linh were still shaken, but dealing better than Sophie might have hoped. As she had suspected, more memories were gradually emerging.

"It's a little disconcerting," Linh sighed, brushing her fingers along her silver-tipped hair. "And many of the memories are horrible. I never realized how accurate my title, the Girl of Many Floods, really was. So many cities, human cities-" She shook her head. But I'm sure the information will be useful."

"We just need a little more time," said Tam.

"Would you be willing," Sophie tugged at an itchy eyelash, "to help some others go through this? I'm probably going to have to start working with the others on the list, if we're going to thwart the Neverseen's plans."

Tam hesitated, but Linh nodded quickly. "Of course we will," she said, looking pointedly at Tam, who was scowling. "This is a terrible and difficult thing to go through. If there's any way we can help others, we have to try."

Tam sighed. "I suppose she's right. As usual."

They discussed a time the next week that they would meet up to plan their approach to the problem, then sat outside to watch the sunset, even though it was only two in the afternoon. Sophie'd never noticed the time zone differences before, maybe because she'd been so distracted by everything else that had happened.

She stopped by Everglen afterwards. Biana was awake and wide-eyed. She and Fitz were having a talk about the Darkness, as Biana called it. Fitz quickly transmitted and filled Sophie in as she came to stand behind his chair.

"You should have told me," he was saying. "It was a serious thing. You shouldn't have kept it a secret."

"I know," Biana murmured. "It was just scary. And kind of embarrassing."

Sophie smiled ruefully and laid her hand on the girl's pale arm. "I know all about embarrassing secrets and problems," she said. "I'm still not over the whole horse-girl thing. But I've come to realize that I can trust my friends, and that it's important to not keep these things to myself."

Biana smiled back weakly, twitching her arm under Sophie's touch as if she might return it if she had the strength.

Sophie stayed a little while, but she wanted to be back at the Dizznee's when Elwin returned, so she made her excuses a little before dusk. When she arrived, the erie silence still reigned. Inside, she found both Elwin and Physic already hard at work.

"I just don't know what else to do." Elwin's forehead was creased. "I've tried everything I can think of, but it isn't helping enough."

Lex, stone faced, stood on the corner of the room with Sophie and Edaline. They had decided it was better if everyone else stayed away.

"Well then, you don't mind if I try my hand, do you?" Physic asked, a little pointedly. Elwin seemed to resent her presence, but if there was nothing he could do…

He stepped aside reluctantly. "I don't see how you can find anything when I didn't, but if there's any chance of saving Dex, we've got to try it."

Physic's examination was short, but her prognosis struck Sophie hard. "He needs a blood transfusion," she said.

"A what?" Elwin looked horrified. "Is this more barbaric human medicine?"

"'Barbaric human medicine' is what kept Sophie alive more than once," snapped Physic, "and I was there, too, saving her. Dex has lost too much blood. If you want him to have any chance of surviving, you'll let me do this."

"I…" Elwin looked lost. He finally glanced over at Sophie. "Do you know anything about this?"

"Oh sure, ask Sophie," grumbled Physic, "not the doctor in the room."

"I know what you're thinking, Elwin," Sophie said, trying to control the familiar pale, shaky feeling, "but millions of humans owe their lives to blood transfusions. Needle or no, if Dex needs blood, that's the only thing for it."

Physic gave an approving nod. Elwin sighed. "Well, what can I do to help?"

"Can you test his blood type? I'll show you how it's done, but it's easier for a Flasher." Physic pulled a hologram out of her pack and demonstrated the different blood types. Elwin used his lights to test first Dex and then Edaline, but they weren't a match. He started to move toward Sophie, but Physic shook her head.

"Sophie's not a match," the woman said. "I should know."

Lex stepped forward. "I'll do it."

Sophie's heart skipped a beat, although she couldn't pinpoint why. "No Lex! You don't know what you're saying!" It just seemed so wrong, the little boy had done so much already, taking care of his whole family alone despite being one of the youngest, being the emotional rock through so much horribleness. To have to let him be stuck with needles, too?

"Am I a match, Elwin?" the boy asked without acknowledging Sophie, his voice tired.

Elwin flitted his orbs around Lex. "Yes you are," he said quietly.

Lex turned to Sophie then. "Would you rather have Dex suffer, maybe die? Or perhaps you'd rather ask the rest of my family, downstairs, tortured by what they saw this morning, to have a needle shoved into their skin? This is the only way."

Sophie wanted to argue; but the boy had made a point. So she dropped her gaze. Edaline went to hold Lex's hand while Physic got an I.V. ready. Lex sat down by Dex's bed, grey but stoic.

Sophie was ashamed of how much she wanted to leave the room. She forced herself to stay, because Lex was being so brave, but she couldn't watch.

When it was over, he was pale and shaky, but Dex was already looking better. Physic had explained to Edaline all the prescriptions the boys would need during recovery, and Elwin had pulled as many of them as he had from his supplies. Physic had several more in her bag, but there were still a couple they would need to get from Slurps and Burps.

Sophie and Edaline made a nest in the guest room while Sandor made a sweep around the grounds. Once Edaline had gotten the haggard Lex (and the rest of the family, still in shock) into bed, the two sipped tea and made plans for the next few days. Sophie, of course, still had school, but being grounded was out of the question now. She almost wished it wasn't, because that would mean things were fixed. Edaline decided to stay with the Dizznees for a while, and Sandor felt he should spend some time setting up security in case the Neverseen tracked the escapees there. By the time Sophie went to bed, she had a splitting headache, and was glad to lose herself in Fitz's loving dreams.


	40. Chapter 39

**Well, would you look at that, less than a week between updates? Must be the** **apocalypse! :p**

 **Here's another chapter for y'all. Now, before I get killed by people saying how bad what happens is, please take all points of view into consideration. I'll post an** **explanation with the next chapter if someone really needs it.**

 **Reviews:**

 **booksaremylife:** **Aww, thank you! No, I won't be doing a Nightfall fic, although I have many other ideas. I just need to get this monstrosity behind me first! So glad you loved the chapter!  
Why? What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishing my favorites... YES LEX! ! ! ! I know he's way different in cannon, but I just love this characterization of him (if I do say so myself lol) Some of your waiting is over, never fear!**

 **KOTLC 1 Fan:** **HHHIIIIIIIIIII! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Review- check! Sorry about your heart, (I think) but at least it isn't your mind, unlike some other people...**

 **VerdiTheTRex:** **Yup, here's me! Happy Christmas/New Year/Hanukkah/semester break. How do you like the story?**

* * *

Chapter 39:

Biana's road to recovery was long, but she didn't mind. The Darkness was staying away for the most part, and she didn't have to go to school. She only wished that Tam would visit.

It was two weeks after the accident when he finally came. Biana was trembling with anticipation by the time Tam walked in the door. Her face lit in a smile when she saw him, but his own smile was just a flicker. Instantly, Biana's mood flickered, worry and hurt flooding her.

"Tam? Everything ok?" she asked, frowning.

"Biana, how are you?" Tam wouldn't look at her straight.

"Tam?!"

"Biana, I think we need to talk," he said slowly. Biana's heart dropped. Tam sat down, motioning for Biana to do the same. Trepidation welled in her, even though she wasn't sure why. All the same, when they were sitting side by side, and Tam looked into her eyes, she felt the Darkness drain from her mind. He took her hand, and her heart started pounding, the Darkness leaving faster than ever, but for the seed of dread still holding some back.

"Biana," Tam began at last, fiddling with her fingers, "I've been doing a lot of thinking since your last attack. I've been really worried about you, but… Biana, I feel like this isn't working out, you and me."

"Wh-what?" Biana's mouth went dry.

"Don't get me wrong, Biana, I like you. So much more than I know how to express. But- this isn't healthy."

 _Healthy?_ Biana blinked at him, her voice no longer in working order, her mind spinning.

"Look at you Biana, something's killing you. Some _one_." Tam's face hardened. "And I understand. Believe me." The anguish on his face made Biana's heart quiver with sympathy, even through her own pain. "I've tried to help you, tried to be there for you hoping… But never mind."

"Hoping?" Biana felt rather than heard her own voice say the word, not sure how it had made it out of her. The rushing in her ears was making her dizzy and frightened.

"Hoping I could make you forget _him_ ," Tam whispered. Biana swallowed, suddenly understanding.

"It's not fair," Tam was squeezing her hand too hard, "that he's coming between us! All he's ever done is hurt you. But that's the way it is. And that's the way it's going to be, too."

"But Tam!" Biana suddenly found the strength to cry out. "I love you!"

"No, Biana," Tam said, his voice too low. "You think you do, but you just can't."

"What?!"

"You aren't able to love me. Not now, anyway. Heaven knows I wish it were different; that you could get over Keefe. But I'm used to being rejected. I guess I shouldn't have thought this would be different." He made an effort to dissipate the shadowvapor that was curling around his hands.

"Tam- don't leave me!" pleaded Biana, feeling sobs welling inside of her.

"It's not fair to you if I stay. You need to work this out for yourself. Unless you do, you'll be like this forever. And it's not fair to me, either. It's giving me a false hope, breaking my heart every day- I just can't. Not anymore. Maybe someday… things will be different."

The Darkness was coming back, Biana knew, more vicious than ever. Tam's influence was stronger when he was upset, but she didn't want his help. Not after this. She tensed to make a run for it. Maybe she could even make it to her room so he wouldn't know until it was too late before the Darkness took her away for good — for it would be for good this time, she thought.

Before she could move though, Tam engulfed her in a hug. It was so sudden that it was half a second before she had the wherewithal to struggle. He didn't deserve to touch her any more! But she couldn't get away, and she couldn't hold in the tears. Suddenly, she was sobbing huge, ugly sobs into Tam's shoulder, too shaken to fight him any longer. Her mind continued to simper with resentment as his hands held her head, drawing the shadowvapor away as fast as it came, until she felt a wetness on her forehead. She grew very still, and there, all around her, Tam's arms were shaking. Tears fell from his eyes onto her head. No one had ever seen Tam cry. In a moment, Biana understood; Tam didn't want this any more than she did. But he couldn't go through the pain. The pain of losing her, the pain of seeing her heart go to someone else. Because deep down, she knew he was right.

So Biana let Tam hold her tightly tightly, until the Darkness had given up. And when he finally left, she replayed his words in her mind.

 _"_ _Maybe someday…"_


	41. Chapter 40

**Hey guys! So, I know this is a couple of days later than planned, but it got so long! So enjoy an extra long piece from yours truly! I'm not as into KOTLC as I used to be, (but I still love it a lot!) so that means other fandoms have crept into my free time, but I promise I'll finish this thing some time or other.**

 **Guest review responses from The Last (Maybe) Cover:**

 **Smiles: Dex is my baby and deserves the world! And no, maybe he isn't a love interest for Sophie, but I wish Shannon would explore his platonic relationship with her more, because they were so awesome together in the first book, and this world needs more positive platonic relationships in literature!**

 **Ooh, the flute is lovely! And yOU HAVE A CAR?!**

 **Strawberryair: Thanks, glad you liked! Also, that sounds like a very cool book that definitely need to go on my to read list!**

 **Reviews from last chapter:**

 **That Aussie Fangirl: Well, to be fair, I ended it with a nice ambiguous _maybe someday,_ but it's twistedly gratifying to know how much you suffered... :)**

 **Smiles: I HAVE REACHED THE PINNACLE OF AUTHORDOM! (what do you mean that's not a word, autocorrect?)**

 **So I'm glad no one misunderstood that, because I was sure I'd get a complaint about Tam being abusive or selfish or hurtful or something, when the poor guy is on the brink himself, pulling away from everything because he doesn't want to get pushed over the edge.**

 **And now for some more angst and plot twists... *Muahahaha***

* * *

Chapter 40:

"Are you sure you're ok?"

Sophie didn't like the way Tam was looking. His eyes were dark and glazed, and he seemed to have a bigger shadowy aura than usual.

"I'm fine," Tam said again, and he seemed annoyed, but still not himself. Sophie knew that something had happened between the Shade and Biana the day before, but neither had seemed willing to share in the brief time she'd seen them. Between school, check-ups with Fitz and Biana, meetings with the Black Swan, and helping with Kelse and Dex and the other Dizznees, she hadn't been able to have much of of social life in the past two weeks.

Linh put a hand on Sophie's arm, signaling that now would be a good time to back off. Sophie stifled a sigh and let it go, knowing better than to push.

The three of them were waiting at the lockers for Marella. After some discussion, they'd decided to talk to her about the Neverseen today.

She looked up at them as she licked her access strip. "Can I help you?" Across the atrium, Stina glanced up.

"Marella," Sophie began, "we have something really important to discuss with you."

"Oh?" Marella's voice was carefully bored, and her glance drifted restlessly between her locker and the three teens confronting her. The motion accentuated the dark, puffy bags beneath her eyes. "What is it, then?"

Sophie swallowed. "It's not something we can really talk about _here._ " She tried to keep her voice steady. Stina was stalking closer.

"So you just want me to come with you, no questions asked? To what, drag me into your dumb problems?"

"Are these creeps bothering you?" Stina called in her snobby whine, sidling up to them.

"Marella," Sophie pleaded, "it's about your parents."

Marella blanched. "My mother?"

"There's a good possibility," Tam interjected, before Sophie could respond.

"Oh, and why are _you_ helping gang up on Marella?" Stina demanded.

"We're not ganging up," Tam growled, his shadow bulging. "My sister and I are here to make this easier, but if you'd rather do it the hard way-"

Linh laid a hand on her brother's arm. "Would it make you more comfortable if Stina was with us, Marella?"

Sophie raised an eyebrow, but Linh had a way of calming people down. And Stina's father _was_ Black Swan. Not that that made Stina an ally, but it was something.

Stina obviously wanted to walk away, but Marella searched Linh's face. "OK," she whispered. "Let's… Can we talk at your place, Stina?"

Stina's mouth opened and closed, fishlike, a few times before she huffed. "Ok, fine."

* * *

Sophie willed the sweat from her hands as she reached for Marella's temples. It had taken she and the Song twins twenty minutes to explain everything. Marella had been understandably upset by the news, and was so nervous, Sophie was a little worried about bringing up the memories now, but the girl insisted.

Tam slipped his shadow in as Sophie made contact. Sophie had barely finished transmitting the password when the flood of memories knocked her consciousness back. Marella had definitely been taken on trips like Tam and Linh. The flavor of the hidden memories was different, though. Sophie couldn't tell which parent was taking her on these missions, and they were never alone. Fintan, Brant, Lady Giesla, Alina, or the Telepath were always there, always in charge.

Finally, Tam sent Sophie a warning and pulled away a large clump of Shadowvapor. Marella's subconscious resisted, but it all gave way with a last flick of Tam's mind. Suddenly the memory of her cloaked parent removing their hood surfaced. All three teens watching gasped as Marella's mother appeared, looking at her daughter in the memory with an expression just a little more sane than any Marella had ever seen on her.

They broke away from each other in a pang of shock. Linh and Stina peppered them with questions, but no one could answer for a long minute.

Finally, Linh splashed them all in the face with tiny flecks of water. Marella spluttered as Sophie's vision cleared. Brokenly, the pixie-like girl explained what had happened. Stina went pale, but Linh wrapped Marella in a gentle hug.

"It's ok," she murmured. "We've all been there, too."

Marella was unable to keep back a few rough sobs. Stina pulled nervously at the edges of her cape, clearly uncomfortable.

"What do I say?" she whispered, leaning over to Sophie. "I mean, I have no idea what she's going through."

Sophie looked at the girl who had been a dark splotch on her first days in the Lost Cities. So much had happened since then, worse things that couldn't possibly compare to a school bully. And yet, it felt strange to have Stina asking her for advice.

"Just be the friend that you've always been," she said at last. "That's the friend she needs right now."

"Is that enough, though?"

"Nothing will ever be enough." Sophie hated how dramatic that sounded, but it was true. The best you could ask for was friends and family who understood, but it was never truly enough to erase the pain and betrayal. You just had to learn to cope, and focus on the good hidden around you.

When Marella was stable enough to be left alone, Sophie and the twins made arrangements to meet at her house the next day, to try to get to the bottom of the mystery at last. They left the girls, with Stina awkwardly brushing at Marella's hair.

* * *

The Redek home, like many other elvin homes Sophie had visited, was absurdly grand and spectacularly beautiful, and yet had the feeling that there was something extremely off. Marella tossed her head, as if daring her guests to find fault, then led them meekly to the door.

"My dad isn't home right now, which is the only reason we can do this. We'd better hurry."

The girl had approached them abruptly that afternoon when school was over, and demanded if they were coming over to see her mother. Sophie was worried that Marella wasn't ready for what might happen, (especially considering how bipolar her actions were right now) but they needed any information they could get, so they followed her home.

Marella's mother wasn't quite what Sophie had expected. She looked a lot like her daughter, but she wore a vacant, lifeless expression that contrasted starkly with Marella's bouncy, type A personality. Still, she was cleaning the living room, dust cloths and floor scrubbing materials around her, furniture pushed aside. Sophie supposed she'd been expecting something more like Prentice- a rocking, insanity-ridden vegetable. Instead, she was able to do at least some menial labor. At least, on her good days.

"Hi mom," Marella called, speaking in a calm, clear voice. She walked forward as if approaching a skittish alicorn. "These are my friends. They're ok."

The woman started up, eyes filled with fright, but Marella spoke soothingly, until her mother finally sat on the couch and permitted the teens to join her.

"Mrs. Redek," Sophie began, trying to quell the nerves knotting her stomach, "we believe there is something very important hidden in your mind. I need to find it- it's very important for your daughter's safety."

Mrs. Redek stared blankly. Marella sighed. "Just do it. I'm her family, and I'm giving permission."

Sophie placed her fingers on the woman's temples. Beside her, she felt Tam call the shadows to himself. Together, they went in.

Sophie had never seen anything like it. Mrs. Redek's mind was strange and shadowy. It felt wrong, like a broken mind, but not broken in a way she recognized.

 _Tam,_ she transmitted. _I think we need to share thoughts if we're going to figure this out. What are you seeing?_

She felt Tam's voice resonate through the shadows they were both wrapped in. "It's strange… you go first while I try to get a handle on it."

Sophie squinted mentally, wishing Fitz was with her. _It's strange, as if the cracks are oozing some dark thing. It's not broken in the shattered way that most minds are; it's more like…_ Sophie paused, considering the implications of what she was about to say. _It's deliberate. Only certain things are broken, and it's done in specific patterns. What I don't understand is the nature of the break._

"I do." Something was starting to seethe under Tam's tone. "The darkness you see is shadowvapor. It's causing all of this- keeping the memories from reforming, damaging the structure of the mind. It can be shifted to make her—I imagine— anything from completely crazy to fairly close to sane, and to hide and reveal memories at will."

Tam's voice was now trembling with rage. "This is the work of a Shade; and only the most powerful and despicable of them could have managed it. This was done by my father."

Sophie didn't need to be an empath to know Tam was having an anger management problem, and she didn't want to know what it would do the the damaged mind they were in. She sent a gentle wave of calm toward him.

 _You don't know that for sure!_

"Oh, but I do." Tam seemed to choke on the calmness, but his voice relaxed slightly. "Few Shades are even close to my father's power. Plus, I know what his aura feels like. This is on him."

 _Can you fix it?_

Tam's tone soured. "I don't know. It's… I hate to let my father win, but he is the best at what he does. Deplorable though it be."

Sophie considered. _It may be the better part of wisdom to leave her for now,_ she said at last. _I know Marella will be disappointed, but we can't let the Neverseen know how much we've discovered. But don't ever doubt your abilities against your father. You are powerful and strong, too. He can't control you. You can figure this out._

Tam was silent, perhaps thinking over her words. Sophie searched for relevant memories that were somewhat in tact. A few times, she asked Tam for help, but he warned her against shifting the shadowvapor too much. Still, after several minutes, she had quite a bit of new information about the Neverseen. Finally, she found a single memory hidden in a wall of shadows. She almost passed it, but it's isolation and the obvious pains to suppress it made her too curious.

 _Tam!_ she called. _I think this is really important._

Tam thinned the veil. "That's all I can do without serious repercussions," he warned.

Wishing again that Fitz was with her, Sophie steeled herself and marched in.

 _Marella's mother was laughing. The party was one of the finest she'd attended since the Ruewens had stopped having theirs. Her head buzzed with the lights and colors and with the fizzleberry wine she'd been drinking. How many glasses had she had? She couldn't remember. The realization made her giggle._

 _Hearing her name, she turned dizzily. Quan Song was walking toward her, a dark smile on his face. It was friendly, he just always looked dark. Giesla Sencen and a man she didn't recognize flanked him._

 _"_ _Lovely Party, isn't it?" she asked. She twirled her fingers around a floating balefire lantern. "Have you considered our offer?"_

Sophie felt herself being sucked into the memory, becoming one with the events.

 _Sophie—for it was her now—shook her head. "No."_

 _Quan raised an eyebrow. "No?"_

 _"_ _I mean…" Sophie shook her head, trying to clear the haze of wine. "I've considered, and I've decided not to accept."_

 _Lady Giesla balled her fists, lunging slightly, but Quan held up a hand—or was it a shadow?—to calm her._

 _"_ _Now, my dear Mrs. Redek," he said smoothly, "you need to consider what you are saying very carefully. We've shown nothing but trust in you, giving you access to things that we normally only show our members. We can't allow ourselves to be breached."_

Again, Sophie thought distantly. Especially after Jolie.

 _"_ _Well I'm sorry," she said, a little defensively. "But I never actually agreed to this, I only said I'd consider. Well I did, and I've decided to stay out of it."_

 _"_ _Oh, you'll be out of it, all right," Lady Giesla said._

 _Suddenly, Sophie was afraid. So afraid. Then, Quan reached toward her, and shadows surrounded her, filled her, rushed into her mind. She cried out in pain, even as the strange man stepped forward to touch her temples with his clammy fingers. Something was wrong, so, so wrong…_

 _She felt herself falling, vaguely felt herself crash into the ground, faintly sensed the gushing of blood from her head, but it all seemed secondary to the darkness penetrating her being._

 _"_ _You have no choice," Quan's voice was echoing through her mind. "You must accept."_

 _Something was shattering…_

 _SOPHIE!_

The mental voice scared Sophie back to reality. She fell back with a terrible scream that was echoed by Marella's mother, clutching her head. It ached so much, she wondered if some damage had been done.

"Fitz," she whimpered, half out of her mind.

"I'm here," he murmured, engulfing her in his strong arms. She turned and sobbed into him, shuddering.

It was a long time before she was able to stand up. She looked up into Fitz's teal eyes, needing their reassurance. Gradually, she became aware of Tam, fussing back and forth between her and Mrs. Redek. Had she ever seen Tam fuss?

"What happened?" she croaked. "How did you get here?"

Concern flashed over Fitz's face. "You were out of it so long, and Tam was sensing something so bad happening with your shadowvapor, that he tried to snap you out of it, but he couldn't. Not knowing what else to do, Linh called me. It was a good thing I came, too, because you were about to break, yourself. Apparently, whatever happened to her-" he gestured to the woman cowering on the other end of the couch- "was contagious. If I hadn't been able to pull you away when I did…"

He clutched her to him again. Sophie processed his words slowly.

"You saw, then?" she asked at last.

Fitz nodded. Sophie felt the movement rather than saw it. She peeked over at Marella and Linh, realized they were staring, and carefully disentangled herself from Fitz's grasp, suddenly conscious of the secret they were coming too close to.

"You all deserve to know what happened," she said. "And then, we have a lot of thinking to do. Tam, can you stabilize Mrs. Redek?"

Tam was scowling in concentration, bent over the woman. "I think so," he said, "But I don't know if I'll be able to erase the traces of what just happened."

"Just, make it seem as if I couldn't find anything, if you can," Sophie said. "That will have to do."

She turned back to the girls. Her stomach twisted into a knot at the thought of Marella's reaction, but she deserved the truth.

They all deserved the truth.


	42. Chapter 41

**Lookie here at me updating in mere days! It must be the apocalypse! Trade off: the chapter is tiny, but hey at least it's something. I'm finding that I need to change POVs more often now, so that's why the chapters might be shorter.**

 **Review:**

 **Smiles: 1\. AWWWWW THANK YOU! I just write what I want to happen. So glad someone else likes it, too!  
2\. Thanks, about the plot. I knew exactly what I wanted with Marella's mom, but the memory was a challenge and I was stuck for months, and then it just all tumbled out in one sitting.  
3\. Ooh, neat! Our family car is an old gold minivan. I hate driving, but someday when I get my own car I really want a VW bus camper. Because they look so neat, and then I can road trip on a whim :)  
4\. Yes, especially in these stories, with the elvin words and names! I really want to do an Autocorrect of the Lost Cities... maybe in an IG post one of these days...  
5\. I am totally the exception to that I need people demanding updates to keep me motivated so beg away! It helps! (As you can see, cause here I am)  
6\. Aww, back at you girl! You are such an inspiration to me, too!**

 **And here we are, a Super Tiny chapter in which we get nervous for and frustrated at our resident turncoat.**

* * *

Chapter 41:

"Keefe!"

Keefe whirled, defenses on high alert as Ruy strode up to meet him. He'd spent a week trying to get back to the Neverseen. It wasn't easy, with all the security, but finally, he'd located a base. Of course, it had to be Ruy that found him.

"Where've you been for the past ten days?" Ruy demanded.

"It's been awful, I've been trying to get back to you!" Keefe put on his best anguished face.

"Oh, save the story," snapped Ruy. "Wait until I bring you to Fintan."

* * *

"She betrayed me, sir," Keefe sobbed, on his knees before Fintan. "I didn't know what was happening until it was too late! I trusted her! But she was really defecting. She took me with her, and when I refused to go, she stranded me! I've been trying to get back to you ever since, but…"

"You're telling me that Kelse, who grew up one of us, defected, and you, who are so new a convert, did not?"

"I know what I am meant to be, sir," Keefe said. "And even if I had my doubts before, she's done her side no favors by the way she treated me. Pretending to be my friend, then tossing me aside. She even had the audacity to say she was in love with that scrawny son of a bad match that also used to be my friend. They just went behind my back and-"

"That's alright, son," Fintan said gently. Keefe slowly pried his hands out of the tight fists they'd made. "I believe you. Betrayal is a powerful weapon, my boy. Take a lesson, and use the fuel it gives you. Make it work for you. There, now I'll make sure you have a room at our new headquarters."

Keefe kept still as Fintan patted his head. When the man finally stood him up, Keefe heeled without a moment's hesitation, head high and proud. He had spent too long wallowing in his emotions, but that was all over now. No more would he feel sorry for himself, indeed, feel at all. He was strong and full of purpose.

He knew what he had to do. And he was going to do it.

* * *

Ten days seemed like nothing. Keefe stayed busy and felt not once. It was like a burden had slipped from his shoulders once he'd renounced emotions. And if, late at night, he noticed a burning emptiness somewhere in his chest, he ignored it, dismissing it to exhaustion.

Then, the breakthrough came. The one he'd been waiting for. Keefe knew the next part would be the hardest, so he steeled himself. Even so, when Fintan sent him alone on a mission, Keefe found himself in his room, shaking.

 _Stupid feelings!_ he chided. _Get it together._

By the time he was booking it toward the familiar buildings, he was iron. He fingered the whistle in his hand and allowed himself a cold smirk at his little secret, but that was all.

He burst into the warmly lit common room at Alluveterre. Beside the twins and Danny, Sophie and Fitz were there, sitting together.

"Call the others," he said without preamble. All eyes turned to him in shock, but he didn't have time for their emotions. "The Lodestar Initiative is about to enter phase three."


	43. Chapter 42

**Hi! So, here I am, back with another chapter. I know I'm pretty unreliable, but I'm trying to learn how to juggle a grown up life now, and it's really** **tough. (It may involve me getting into too many things at once over my head...) But I said I'd finish this thing one day, and I meant it. So, chapter 42!**

 **This is the part I've been avoiding for the entire fic. I really didn't know what to do, but I couldn't stall any longer, so here it is. I hope it's not awful.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Linh Song: Aw, thank you!**

 **Smiles: Dear friend! I can always count on you to lift my spirits and show me that I'm not updating in vain because at least one person reads! I am so torn on Keefe because I really dislike him in cannon, and even though I feel that Shannon should just kill him off in a redemptive (or not) arc, I also have become rather attached to the version of him that has grown in this fic. *sigh* I just don't know anymore. Thank you, though!  
I don't actually watch Marvel stuff at all, but I hope you enjoyed. (or, whatever, I heard around that it was a little... _dark_ ) I do like DC, although I haven't seen any of their movies, just TV shows.**

 **Guest: Wow, I'm glad you like it, thanks!**

 **Also, huge thank you to emeraldrobyn for following me! Thank for taking a chance on my work!**

 **So now, on to the story, if anyone is still out there...**

* * *

Chapter 42:

Sophie squeezed Fitz's hand in terror as she stood beside Prentice's bed. She'd been waiting for this moment for a long time, but now that it was here, she couldn't help but be filled with self doubt. What if it didn't work?

 _Everything will be fine,_ Fitz reassured her, and Sophie smiled mentally at him. They'd become so much of one unit, that neither could imagine a world without the other.

On the other end of the room, Mr. Forkle and Tiergan stood on either side of Wylie, who looked as taught as a rubber band. Sophie peered over, waiting for the signal that they were ready. Wylie was the one who met her eyes at last.

"Bring my father back," he whispered.

Sophie steeled her nerves, cleared her mind, and touched Prentice's clammy temples.

Instantly, she was overwhelmed with the sharp, confusing jumble she'd felt before. She whispered words of encouragement, and followed the trail to the safe, warm nook in Prentice's mind. Once there, she sent him memories of Wylie, calling others from his mind to join. She sent him thoughts of her own happier moments, and the beautiful Alicorns with their coming baby. She shoved sweet, healing joy and peace into his mind, until he seemed ready to explode with it all. Suddenly, it sprang into a shape, and the pieces started to come together. In minutes, his mind was whole. Weak, and painfully confused, but whole.

Sophie allowed herself to fall back into Fitz's arms, gasping. Fitz hugged her tight while Wylie threw himself into his father's arms, and the two Black Swan leaders followed, holding onto their friend with huge smiles.

Of course, they weren't allowed to talk for several minutes, until Sophie had completely recovered and Prentice was feeling stable. But when at last they were sitting in a circle with hot tea in their hands, Prentice had a lot of questions. Some were too painful to answer, but they all did their best. At last, Sophie could stand it no longer.

"I'm sorry if this is a painful memory," she said, "but we have know. Why did you call Swan Song?"

Prentice frowned, as if that memory wasn't quite available yet. "It was something…" he began, then gasped.

"Some of the details are fuzzy," he said, "but I remember one thing."

He met every eye in the room. "I found out the endgame of the Lodestar Initiative."

At first, Sophie thought they already knew what Prentice was going to say. But as he spoke, it became sickeningly clear that they'd only scratched the surface.

"Gathering an army of indoctrinated children is only the beginning," he explained. "After they have neutralized any resistance in the Lost Cities, they plan to move on to the human world. They've already infiltrated hundreds of colleges, joining environmental and socialist groups. Once they have enough of a following, they'll convince the poor kids that humanity must be dealt with drastically, and get them to help."

"Drastically?" Fitz's voice was a rasp of worry. He gripped Sophie's hand tight, and she could feel his unsettlement.

"Extermination and imprisonment." Prentice said.

Tiergan and Mr. Forkle exchanged odd looks. "So the war is about humans after all," said Mr. Forkle at last. "We suspected, but we had no clue it went so far."

Prentice nodded grimly.

"Wait," Sophie suddenly realized she had a question. "I thought the elves believed in socialism?"

"While our society _is_ basically socialist," Tiergan began, "it may not be the utopia that the Council wants us to think. But either way, we are elves. Humans have proved time and again that socialism brings their kind only misery and disaster. Honestly, it's the perfect way to cause humanity to implode."

"So," Fitz frowned, "you're saying the Neverseen have a smart, well thought out strategy?"

"Just because they are wrong and cruel doesn't mean they are unintelligent, Mr. Vacker," Mr. Forkle said.

Wylie, still glued to his Father's side, set his tea down on the table with a thump. "This is all very interesting," he said, "but when can I take my father home?"

Tiergan gripped his adopted son's arm with a tired smile. "Soon, Wylie, very soon. We just want to keep him overnight for observation."

Sophie let a smile ghost across her own lips as she listened to Wylie babble about wanting to go home and prepare, no he'd rather stay- no… She was glad he had some kind of happy ever after. But with all they'd learned, she knew there was work to be done to protect his joy, and the joy of countless other families, both elvin and human.

 _We should go to Alluveterre,_ she said to Fitz, letting Mr. Forkle overhear her transmission. _We have a lot to talk about._

Mr. Forkle gave her a small nod of permission, slid the crystal across the table to them, and the two teens slipped out. Just as Sophie made it to the doorway, Wylie jumped up.

"Sophie!"

She turned.

"I- I just wanted to say thanks." He twisted his fingers. "For everything."

Sophie smiled. "Thank _you,_ Wylie. For not hating me through all this."

Fitz took her hand, and together they walked up the stairs.

* * *

"So that's why I don't think we can wait any longer," Sophie finished. She'd explained the whole thing to Tam and Linh, and the twins' seemed deep in thought.

Danny, who was still decidedly attached to Sophie, was sitting in her lap playing happily with her various necklaces and bangles. He giggled at the cold slosh of her allergy medicine, and almost caused an uproar when he tried to push her panic switch. He occasionally spoke to her in Russian, and she'd answer, poking his nose or belly playfully.

"I agree," Linh said, creating and dispersing rainclouds absently. "If we're going to stop the Neverseen, we can't afford to waste another moment deliberating."

Tam tossed the shadow ball in his hands back and forth. "You're right," he said. "Feelings aside, we have to stop this."

"How are we going to go about it, though?" Sophie carefully detangled Danny's fingers from her Sucker Punch.

"I have an idea," Fitz began, but then he was cut off.

Someone barged into the room, making them all turn in surprise. Keefe stood in the doorway, pale and thin and seeming somehow wild. "Call the others," he said unceremoniously. Sophie felt her gut wrench at the sight of him, but there was something cold and savage in his eyes, something that scared her. All that was quickly forgotten, though, when he opened his mouth again.

"The Lodestar Initiative is about to enter phase three."


End file.
